Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Fort Collins, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,816 in Fort Collins, CO, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Fort Collins, CO outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
136

Cost of Living Index in Fort Collins, CO
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Fort Collins, CO Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Fort Collins, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,816

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Fort Collins, CO

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 Fort Collins, CO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,816 in Fort Collins, CO.

Austin, TX $2,607
Fort Collins, CO $2,816

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,951 in Fort Collins, CO.

Austin, TX $4,031
Fort Collins, CO $3,951

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,085 in Fort Collins, CO.

Austin, TX $5,454
Fort Collins, CO $5,085

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 7% less than in Fort Collins, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Fort Collins, CO 107% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$22.88 $22.88

-11.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$79.0 $79.0

7.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.24 $11.24

7.83%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$6.22 $6.22

-9.16%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.54 $2.54

44.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.06 $2.06

14.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$7.05 $7.05

11.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.89 $6.89

28.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.03 $1.03

10.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.99 $2.99

23.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.79 $2.79

18.64%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.13 $4.13

0.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$11.15 $11.15

16.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$9.23 $9.23

50.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$19.48 $19.48

-16.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.98 $4.98

-5.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.52 $1.52

-4.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.81 $4.81

6.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.35 $5.35

-15.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.58 $3.58

-13.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$4.66 $4.66

-48.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.33 $2.33

-22.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.78 $1.78

24.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.32 $10.32

-3.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$16.64 $16.64

-9.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.47 $2.47

17.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.71 $2.71

22.88%

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

$2.43 $2.43

14.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.90 $1.90

-13.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$24.61 $24.61

43.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.02 $1.02

-6.86%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$28.4K $28.4K

20.60%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.2K $26.2K

2.32%

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

$223 $223

$210 $210

6.12%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$56.6 $56.6

3.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$70.6 $70.6

0.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$51.8 $51.8

2.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$29.76 $29.76

-43.72%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$11.96 $11.96

17.56%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,288 $1,288

13.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$12.6K $12.6K

69.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$59.1 $59.1

-11.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$68.5 $68.5

-37.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$81.6 $81.6

5.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$114 $114

-9.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,817 $1,817

16.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,499 $1,499

-17.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,837 $2,837

36.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,143 $2,143

12.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$4,076 $4,076

82.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,793 $2,793

9.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,503 $4,503

15.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.77

0.74%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Fort Collins, CO: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Fort Collins, CO

$1.5K 53.2% 21.8% $269

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Fort Collins, CO

$388 13.8% 5.4% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Fort Collins, CO

$337 12% 4.3% $15

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Fort Collins, CO

$359 12.7% 3.1% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Fort Collins, CO

$145 5.2% 13.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Fort Collins, CO

$76 2.7% 6.7% $5.5

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Fort Collins, CO

$12 * 0.4% 78.9% $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 $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,817 in Fort Collins, CO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 15% 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 Fort Collins, CO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $388 per month, with Fort Collins, CO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Fort Collins, CO

🕒 Local time

11:36 11:36 AM

10:36 10:36 AM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

148,612

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Fort Collins, CO 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Fort Collins, CO

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 Fort Collins, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Fort Collins, CO. 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 15% 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 $1,817 in Fort Collins, CO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,288 in Fort Collins, CO. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Fort Collins, CO – 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.

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.