Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Fayetteville, NC: $2,452 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
118

Cost of Living Index in Fayetteville, NC
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Fayetteville, NC Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Fayetteville, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,452

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,452 in Fayetteville, NC.

Austin, TX $2,698
Fayetteville, NC $2,452

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,217 in Fayetteville, NC.

Austin, TX $4,160
Fayetteville, NC $3,217

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $3,983 in Fayetteville, NC.

Austin, TX $5,622
Fayetteville, NC $3,983

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 10% more expensive than in Fayetteville, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Fayetteville, NC 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$18.48 $18.48

11.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$60.7 $60.7

39.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.90 $11.90

1.43%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.02 $5.02

9.16%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.21 $2.21

71.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.64 $1.64

50.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.85 $4.85

65.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$6.47 $6.47

37.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.81 $0.81

37.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.68 $3.68

1.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.29 $3.29

2.43%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.72 $3.72

16.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$10.16 $10.16

29.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$8.72 $8.72

62.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$17.32 $17.32

-5.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.20 $4.20

8.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.21 $2.21

-33.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.05 $4.05

16.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.55 $4.55

-8.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.30 $2.30

12.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.24 $3.24

-27.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.81 $1.81

-2.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.99 $1.99

7.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$8.71 $8.71

15.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$12.67 $12.67

19.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.68 $1.68

67.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.99 $2.99

15.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.01 $2.01

39.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.27 $2.27

-29.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$49.83 $49.83

-31.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.02 $1.02

-7.84%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$26.5K $26.5K

28.10%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.5K $25.5K

5.04%

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

$223 $223

$182 $182

22.01%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$71.1 $71.1

-17.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$62.9 $62.9

12.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$33.15 $33.15

74.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$40.29 $40.29

-58.97%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$13.25 $13.25

7.62%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$774 $774

95.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$25.1K $25.1K

-16.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

-0.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$36.58 $36.58

20.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$70.4 $70.4

23.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$116 $116

-10.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,198 $1,198

61.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,286 $1,286

2.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,609 $1,609

127.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,407 $1,407

82.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$1,876 $1,876

292.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,521 $1,521

105.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$2,982 $2,982

77.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.32

7.44%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Fayetteville, NC: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Fayetteville, NC

$1.3K 52.5% 2.3% $30

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Fayetteville, NC

$356 14.5% 12.2% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Fayetteville, NC

$316 12.9% 10.1% $36

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Fayetteville, NC

$296 12.1% 15.3% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Fayetteville, NC

$123 5% 4.4% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Fayetteville, NC

$60 2.4% 30.8% $27

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Fayetteville, NC

$13 * 0.5% 77% $45

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 $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,198 in Fayetteville, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 77% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $61.0 in Fayetteville, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $356 per month, with Fayetteville, NC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Fayetteville, NC

🕒 Local time

23:50 11:50 PM

00:50 12:50 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

93,949

💱 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 Fayetteville, NC 1,840 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Fayetteville, NC

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, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fayetteville, NC wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fayetteville, NC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 77% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,198 in Fayetteville, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $774 in Fayetteville, NC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Fayetteville, NC – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,452 in Fayetteville, NC versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Fayetteville, NC but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Fayetteville, NC the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Fayetteville, NC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.