Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Fairfield, CT

For one person, living is cheaper in Fairfield, CT: $2,590 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Fairfield, CT
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Fairfield, CT Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Fairfield, CT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,590

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Fairfield, CT

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Fairfield, CT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $2,590 in Fairfield, CT.

Austin, TX $2,689
Fairfield, CT $2,590

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $3,814 in Fairfield, CT.

Austin, TX $4,112
Fairfield, CT $3,814

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $5,039 in Fairfield, CT.

Austin, TX $5,534
Fairfield, CT $5,039

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 4% more expensive than in Fairfield, CT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Fairfield, CT 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$20.05 $20.05

6.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$75.3 $75.3

16.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$11.55 $11.55

7.71%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.79 $5.79

-3.28%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.60 $2.60

40.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.80 $1.80

32.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$5.15 $5.15

51.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$6.59 $6.59

32.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.06 $1.06

5.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.53 $3.53

2.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.50 $4.50

-22.22%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$4.26 $4.26

4.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$12.67 $12.67

4.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$11.74 $11.74

18.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$17.21 $17.21

-4.36%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$4.70 $4.70

0.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.44 $1.44

4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$4.67 $4.67

-0.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.77 $4.77

-5.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.13 $3.13

-18.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$3.09 $3.09

-22.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.22 $2.22

-17.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.95 $1.95

9.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$10.72 $10.72

-6.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$16.23 $16.23

-8.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.11 $2.11

33.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.98 $1.98

-37.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$59.8 $59.8

-30.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.94 $2.94

-8.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.76 $1.76

-7.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$25.95 $25.95

35.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.15 $1.15

-14.78%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.4K $34.4K

$28.0K $28.0K

22.90%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.8K $26.8K

$29.0K $29.0K

-7.45%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$252 $252

$200 $200

25.89%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$59.8 $59.8

$58.7 $58.7

1.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$70.8 $70.8

-1.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$39.27 $39.27

53.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$13.76 $13.76

-0.07%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,458 $1,458

$1,372 $1,372

6.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$17.9K $17.9K

48.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$52.3 $52.3

0.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$41.67 $41.67

9.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$87.7 $87.7

-2.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$114 $114

-6.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$1,578 $1,578

39.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$1,259 $1,259

0.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$2,588 $2,588

54.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$2,112 $2,112

13.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$2,681 $2,681

175.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$2,172 $2,172

36.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$5,099 $5,099

-1.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

13.67%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Fairfield, CT: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Fairfield, CT

$1.3K 48.6% 0.8% $10

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Fairfield, CT

$401 15.5% 1.5% $6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Fairfield, CT

$330 12.7% 13.6% $52

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Fairfield, CT

$321 12.4% 9.8% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Fairfield, CT

$133 5.1% 1.9% $2.5

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Fairfield, CT

$67 2.6% 24% $21

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Fairfield, CT

$80 3.1% 39.1% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Austin, TX and $1,578 in Fairfield, CT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $75 in Fairfield, CT for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $401 per month, with Fairfield, CT cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Fairfield, CT

🕒 Local time

01:33 1:33 AM

02:33 2:33 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

117,133

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Fairfield, CT 2,510 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Fairfield, CT

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Austin, TX vs Fairfield, CT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fairfield, CT wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Fairfield, CT the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $4,034 in Austin, TX and $3,885 in Fairfield, CT to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $1,578 in Fairfield, CT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,458 in Austin, TX versus $1,372 in Fairfield, CT. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Fairfield, CT – a meal for two runs $75 versus $88 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Fairfield, CT is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.