Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Fargo, ND

For one person, living is cheaper in Fargo, ND: $2,127 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in Fargo, ND
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Fargo, ND Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Fargo, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,127

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Fargo, ND

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 Fargo, ND actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,127 in Fargo, ND.

Austin, TX $2,607
Fargo, ND $2,127

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,227 in Fargo, ND.

Austin, TX $4,031
Fargo, ND $3,227

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,327 in Fargo, ND.

Austin, TX $5,454
Fargo, ND $4,327

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 23% more expensive than in Fargo, ND, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Fargo, ND 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$17.17 $17.17

18.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$59.0 $59.0

43.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.95 $11.95

1.42%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.41 $5.41

4.44%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.56 $2.56

43.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.94 $1.94

21.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.36 $5.36

46.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$8.83 $8.83

-0.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.23 $1.23

-7.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.40 $3.40

8.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$7.63 $7.63

-56.62%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.08 $4.08

1.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$14.93 $14.93

-13.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$15.52 $15.52

-10.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$21.08 $21.08

-22.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$10.28 $10.28

-54.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.34 $2.34

-38.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$6.51 $6.51

-21.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.40 $5.40

-16.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$5.10 $5.10

-39.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.76 $3.76

-36.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.95 $1.95

-7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.74 $2.74

-18.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$8.60 $8.60

15.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$18.58 $18.58

-19.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.62 $2.62

11.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$5.63 $5.63

-40.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.03 $2.03

-39.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$42.10 $42.10

-3.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$4.58 $4.58

-39.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.97 $0.97

-2.06%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.4K $27.4K

24.97%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.3K $25.3K

5.61%

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

$223 $223

$138 $138

61.24%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$58.1 $58.1

0.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$56.5 $56.5

25.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$52.0 $52.0

2.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$13.96 $13.96

0.72%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,247 $1,247

17.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$49.85 $49.85

5.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$47.16 $47.16

-9.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$84.2 $84.2

2.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$101 $101

3.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,013 $1,013

108.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$790 $790

55.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$1,627 $1,627

137.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,363 $1,363

76.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,459 $2,459

202.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,688 $1,688

81.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,858 $3,858

34.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.43

6.07%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Fargo, ND: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Fargo, ND

$790 37.1% 35.8% $441

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Fargo, ND

$522 24.6% 27.5% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Fargo, ND

$253 11.9% 28.3% $100

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Fargo, ND

$300 14.1% 13.7% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Fargo, ND

$127 6% 1.2% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Fargo, ND

$80 3.8% 1.6% $1.3

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Fargo, ND

$55 * 2.6% 3% $1.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,013 in Fargo, ND. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 34% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $59 in Fargo, ND. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $522, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Fargo, ND

🕒 Local time

12:45 12:45 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

90,056

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Fargo, ND 1,850 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Fargo, ND

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 Fargo, ND: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fargo, ND wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Fargo, ND the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 34% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,013 in Fargo, ND. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,127 in Fargo, ND – Fargo, ND is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 4% less than in Fargo, ND. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Fargo, ND 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.

It comes down to priorities – Fargo, ND wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.