Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Fort Lauderdale, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,414 in Fort Lauderdale, FL, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 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
166

Cost of Living Index in Fort Lauderdale, FL
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Fort Lauderdale, FL Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Fort Lauderdale, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,414

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Fort Lauderdale, FL

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $3,414 in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Austin, TX $2,607
Fort Lauderdale, FL $3,414

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $5,025 in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Austin, TX $4,031
Fort Lauderdale, FL $5,025

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $6,636 in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Austin, TX $5,454
Fort Lauderdale, FL $6,636

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 24% less than in Fort Lauderdale, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Fort Lauderdale, FL 151% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$29.40 $29.40

-30.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$99.7 $99.7

-15.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$14.55 $14.55

-16.70%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.10 $5.10

10.78%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.99 $2.99

23.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.17 $2.17

8.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.13 $6.13

28.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.93 $6.93

27.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.02 $1.02

11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$5.03 $5.03

-26.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.75 $3.75

-11.73%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.90 $4.90

-15.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$17.22 $17.22

-24.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$10.33 $10.33

34.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$26.42 $26.42

-38.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$6.47 $6.47

-27.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.95 $1.95

-25.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.36 $4.36

17.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.33 $5.33

-15.20%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.89 $2.89

6.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.17 $3.17

-24.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.66 $2.66

-32.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.79 $1.79

24.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.52 $9.52

4.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$11.81 $11.81

27.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.00 $3.00

-3.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.12 $2.12

57.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.05 $2.05

-40.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$71.0 $71.0

-42.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$4.01 $4.01

-30.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.81 $1.81

-8.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$23.92 $23.92

47.95%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

20.76%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.52%

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

$223 $223

$212 $212

5.29%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$64.8 $64.8

-9.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$80.7 $80.7

-11.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$42.90 $42.90

23.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$14.34 $14.34

16.81%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$17.92 $17.92

-21.54%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,026 $1,026

42.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$41.2K $41.2K

-48.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$46.35 $46.35

13.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$41.77 $41.77

2.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$87.5 $87.5

-1.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$116 $116

-10.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$2,687 $2,687

-21.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,893 $1,893

-35.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$4,985 $4,985

-22.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$3,168 $3,168

-24.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$5,795 $5,795

28.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$4,254 $4,254

-28.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,757 $4,757

8.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.63

2.87%

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 Lauderdale, FL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$1.9K 55.5% 53.9% $663

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$456 13.4% 11.3% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$357 10.5% 1.3% $4.7

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$405 11.9% 16.4% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$131 3.9% 2.3% $2.9

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$79 2.3% 3% $2.4

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$92 2.7% 63.4% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $2,687 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 9% 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 $100 in Fort Lauderdale, FL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $456 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Fort Lauderdale, FL

🕒 Local time

11:08 11:08 AM

12:08 12:08 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

165,521

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Fort Lauderdale, FL 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Fort Lauderdale, FL

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 Lauderdale, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Fort Lauderdale, FL. 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 9% 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 $2,687 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. 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 $3,414 in Fort Lauderdale, FL – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 43% less than in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching 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.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.