Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Fayetteville, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in Fayetteville, AR: $2,098 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

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

Cost of Living Index in Fayetteville, AR
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Fayetteville, AR Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Fayetteville, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,098

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Fayetteville, AR

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 Fayetteville, AR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,098 in Fayetteville, AR.

Austin, TX $2,607
Fayetteville, AR $2,098

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,215 in Fayetteville, AR.

Austin, TX $4,031
Fayetteville, AR $3,215

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,331 in Fayetteville, AR.

Austin, TX $5,454
Fayetteville, AR $4,331

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 24% more expensive than in Fayetteville, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Fayetteville, AR 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$16.24 $16.24

25.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$78.8 $78.8

7.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$9.32 $9.32

30.04%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.29 $5.29

6.81%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.16 $2.16

70.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.70 $1.70

38.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.05 $6.05

30.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.04 $7.04

25.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.90 $0.90

26.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.59 $3.59

2.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.78 $3.78

-12.43%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.44 $5.44

-23.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$8.13 $8.13

59.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$8.45 $8.45

64.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$13.52 $13.52

20.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.48 $4.48

4.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.53 $1.53

-5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.71 $2.71

88.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.98 $3.98

13.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.98 $1.98

55.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.55 $2.55

-6.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.48 $1.48

21.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.00 $2.00

11.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.41 $9.41

5.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.01 $14.01

7.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.82 $1.82

59.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.15 $3.15

5.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.80 $2.80

-0.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.28 $1.28

28.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$30.23 $30.23

17.07%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

26.49%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.88%

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

$223 $223

$177 $177

26.00%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$54.9 $54.9

6.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$62.4 $62.4

13.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$30.86 $30.86

71.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$9.91 $9.91

41.88%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,094 $1,094

33.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$23.3K $23.3K

-8.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$52.7 $52.7

-0.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$41.94 $41.94

1.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$107 $107

-19.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$139 $139

-25.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,485 $1,485

42.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$974 $974

26.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,319 $2,319

66.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,792 $1,792

34.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$3,758 $3,758

97.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,199 $2,199

39.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,634 $3,634

42.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.45

5.74%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Fayetteville, AR: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Fayetteville, AR

$974 46.4% 20.9% $257

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Fayetteville, AR

$336 16% 18.1% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Fayetteville, AR

$294 14% 16.5% $58

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Fayetteville, AR

$281 13.4% 19.2% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Fayetteville, AR

$154 7.3% 19.6% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Fayetteville, AR

$51 2.4% 37.6% $30

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Fayetteville, AR

$9.2 * 0.4% 83.7% $47

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 $1,485 in Fayetteville, AR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 43% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $79 in Fayetteville, AR for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $336 per month, with Fayetteville, AR cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Fayetteville, AR

🕒 Local time

20:29 8:29 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

93,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Fayetteville, AR 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Fayetteville, AR

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 Fayetteville, AR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fayetteville, AR wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Fayetteville, AR the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 43% 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 $1,485 in Fayetteville, AR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,094 in Fayetteville, AR. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Fayetteville, AR – a meal for two runs $79 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Fayetteville, AR gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 – Fayetteville, AR wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.