Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Fond du Lac, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Fond du Lac, WI: $986 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Fond du Lac, WI
Learn more

Fond du Lac, WI Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Fond du Lac, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$986

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Fond du Lac, WI

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 Fond du Lac, WI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $986 in Fond du Lac, WI.

Austin, TX $2,607
Fond du Lac, WI $986

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $1,651 in Fond du Lac, WI.

Austin, TX $4,031
Fond du Lac, WI $1,651

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $2,316 in Fond du Lac, WI.

Austin, TX $5,454
Fond du Lac, WI $2,316

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 164% more expensive than in Fond du Lac, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 92% above, Fond du Lac, WI is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$12.53 $12.53

62.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$67.7 $67.7

25.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$8.02 $8.02

51.12%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.04 $4.04

39.85%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.93 $2.93

25.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.25 $2.25

4.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$3.90 $3.90

101.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.13 $6.13

43.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.77 $0.77

48.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.68 $2.68

37.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.92 $2.92

13.36%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.15 $3.15

31.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$16.78 $16.78

-22.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$11.31 $11.31

22.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$12.99 $12.99

25.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.37 $4.37

7.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.66 $1.66

-12.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.43 $3.43

48.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$6.08 $6.08

-25.66%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.74 $4.74

-35.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.61 $2.61

-8.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$0.97 $0.97

85.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.78 $1.78

24.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$11.20 $11.20

-10.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$8.16 $8.16

84.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.76 $1.76

65.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

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

$9.98 $9.98

-72.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$19.79 $19.79

78.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$24.5K $24.5K

39.31%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.6K $25.6K

4.65%

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

$223 $223

$99.4 $99.4

124.39%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$37.66 $37.66

55.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$51.0 $51.0

39.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$11.82 $11.82

18.95%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,492 $1,492

-2.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$56.6 $56.6

-7.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$47.39 $47.39

-9.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$88.5 $88.5

-2.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$227 $227

-54.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,189 $1,189

77.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$1,472 $1,472

162.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,022 $2,022

267.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,007 $2,007

52.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$2,964 $2,964

74.75%

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 Fond du Lac, WI: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Fond du Lac, WI

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Fond du Lac, WI

$350 * 35.5% 14.5% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Fond du Lac, WI

$188 19.1% 46.7% $165

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Fond du Lac, WI

$225 22.8% 35.3% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Fond du Lac, WI

$189 19.1% 46.9% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Fond du Lac, WI

$24 * 2.4% 70.9% $58

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Fond du Lac, WI

$10 * 1% 82.3% $46

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 $1,189 in Fond du Lac, WI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 75% 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 in Austin, TX vs $68 in Fond du Lac, WI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $350 per month, with Fond du Lac, WI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Fond du Lac, WI

🕒 Local time

21:05 9:05 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

43,021

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Fond du Lac, WI 1,710 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Fond du Lac, WI

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 Fond du Lac, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fond du Lac, WI wins on cost – living expenses run 62% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Fond du Lac, WI the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 75% 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 $1,189 in Fond du Lac, WI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,492 in Fond du Lac, WI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Fond du Lac, WI – a meal for two runs $68 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $986 in Fond du Lac, WI versus $2,607 in Austin, TX, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Fond du Lac, WI but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Fond du Lac, WI 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.

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