Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Fort Lee, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,894 in Fort Lee, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 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
187

Cost of Living Index in Fort Lee, NJ
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Fort Lee, NJ Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Fort Lee, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,894

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Fort Lee, NJ

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $3,894 in Fort Lee, NJ.

Austin, TX $2,607
Fort Lee, NJ $3,894

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $6,154 in Fort Lee, NJ.

Austin, TX $4,031
Fort Lee, NJ $6,154

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $8,415 in Fort Lee, NJ.

Austin, TX $5,454
Fort Lee, NJ $8,415

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 33% less than in Fort Lee, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Fort Lee, NJ 186% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$25.04 $25.04

-18.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$81.2 $81.2

4.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$10.95 $10.95

10.68%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.35 $5.35

5.61%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.19 $2.19

68.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.52 $1.52

55.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$8.18 $8.18

-3.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$8.02 $8.02

9.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.33 $1.33

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.84 $3.84

-3.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$6.79 $6.79

-51.25%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.63 $4.63

-10.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$12.55 $12.55

3.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$11.86 $11.86

16.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$17.50 $17.50

-6.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.45 $5.45

-13.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.77 $1.77

-18.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$6.27 $6.27

-18.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.42 $5.42

-16.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.06 $4.06

-24.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.92 $3.92

-39.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.90 $2.90

-37.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.73 $2.73

-18.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$11.78 $11.78

-15.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$11.86 $11.86

26.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.71 $1.71

70.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.03 $2.03

64.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.71 $2.71

-54.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$135 $135

-69.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.01 $3.01

-7.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.10 $2.10

-21.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$24.13 $24.13

46.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.86 $0.86

10.47%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.6K $27.6K

23.95%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.5K $26.5K

1.17%

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

$223 $223

$215 $215

3.55%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$75.8 $75.8

-22.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$64.2 $64.2

10.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$127 $127

-58.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$14.55 $14.55

-3.37%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$2,027 $2,027

-28.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$23.8K $23.8K

-10.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$41.93 $41.93

25.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$57.6 $57.6

-25.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$77.6 $77.6

11.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$84.5 $84.5

22.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$2,927 $2,927

-27.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$2,299 $2,299

-46.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$6,548 $6,548

-41.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$4,918 $4,918

-51.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$4,299 $4,299

72.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$3,727 $3,727

-17.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$6,606 $6,606

-21.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.75

1.04%

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 Lee, NJ: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Fort Lee, NJ

$2.3K 59% 86.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Fort Lee, NJ

$438 11.2% 6.8% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Fort Lee, NJ

$355 9.1% 0.8% $2.7

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Fort Lee, NJ

$369 9.5% 6% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Fort Lee, NJ

$118 3% 8.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Fort Lee, NJ

$156 4% 92.1% $75

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Fort Lee, NJ

$159 4.1% 182% $103

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $2,927 in Fort Lee, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Lee, NJ pays 28% 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 $81 in Fort Lee, NJ. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $438, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Fort Lee, NJ

🕒 Local time

08:20 8:20 AM

09:20 9:20 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

37,008

💱 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 Lee, NJ 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Fort Lee, NJ

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 Lee, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Fort Lee, NJ. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Austin, TX. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $2,927 in Fort Lee, NJ. 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 $3,894 in Fort Lee, NJ – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 70% less than in Fort Lee, NJ. 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.

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 – Austin, TX wins on affordability, Fort Lee, NJ on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.