Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Fontana, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,395 in Fontana, CA, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Fontana, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
164

Cost of Living Index in Fontana, CA
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Fontana, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Fontana, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,395

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Fontana, CA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $3,395 in Fontana, CA.

Austin, TX $2,607
Fontana, CA $3,395

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $5,018 in Fontana, CA.

Austin, TX $4,031
Fontana, CA $5,018

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $6,640 in Fontana, CA.

Austin, TX $5,454
Fontana, CA $6,640

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 23% less than in Fontana, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Fontana, CA 149% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$20.08 $20.08

1.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$78.8 $78.8

7.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$14.72 $14.72

-17.66%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.73 $5.73

-1.40%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$3.40 $3.40

8.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.47 $2.47

-4.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$7.28 $7.28

8.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$9.61 $9.61

-8.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.05 $1.05

8.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.13 $4.13

-10.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.72 $4.72

-29.87%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.06 $5.06

-17.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$13.11 $13.11

-0.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$8.87 $8.87

56.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$15.70 $15.70

4.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.71 $4.71

-0.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.17 $2.17

-33.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.91 $3.91

30.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.45 $5.45

-17.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.76 $3.76

-18.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.21 $2.21

7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.01 $2.01

-10.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.91 $1.91

16.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$11.72 $11.72

-14.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.27 $15.27

-1.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.02 $2.02

44.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$4.07 $4.07

-18.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$45.43 $45.43

-10.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$6.12 $6.12

-54.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.53 $1.53

-37.91%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$28.3K $28.3K

20.90%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.92%

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

$223 $223

$221 $221

0.74%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$79.0 $79.0

-26.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$60.0 $60.0

18.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$15.18 $15.18

-7.38%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,195 $1,195

22.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$57.0 $57.0

-7.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$40.72 $40.72

4.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$93.2 $93.2

-7.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$103 $103

0.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,970 $1,970

7.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$2,071 $2,071

-40.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$3,187 $3,187

21.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$3,737 $3,737

-35.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,906 $4,906

5.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.31

8.08%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Fontana, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Fontana, CA

$2.1K 61% 68.3% $841

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Fontana, CA

$397 11.7% 3.2% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Fontana, CA

$360 10.6% 2.2% $7.7

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Fontana, CA

$353 10.4% 1.3% $4.6

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Fontana, CA

$132 3.9% 3% $3.8

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Fontana, CA

$30 * 0.9% 62.6% $51

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Fontana, CA

$52 * 1.5% 8.7% $4.9

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 $1,970 in Fontana, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $79 in Fontana, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $397 per month, with Fontana, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Fontana, CA

🕒 Local time

16:45 4:45 PM

14:45 2:45 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

210,000

💱 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 Fontana, CA 1,900 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Fontana, CA

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 Fontana, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Fontana, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 6% 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 $1,970 in Fontana, CA. 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 $3,395 in Fontana, CA – Austin, TX is about 23% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 11% less than in Fontana, CA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX 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.