Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,034 in Fort Myers, FL, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
147

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

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Fort Myers, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,034

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Fort Myers, 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 Myers, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $3,034 in Fort Myers, FL.

Austin, TX $2,663
Fort Myers, FL $3,034

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $4,394 in Fort Myers, FL.

Austin, TX $4,133
Fort Myers, FL $4,394

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $5,753 in Fort Myers, FL.

Austin, TX $5,603
Fort Myers, FL $5,753

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 12% less than in Fort Myers, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Fort Myers, FL 125% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$24.92 $24.92

-16.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$78.7 $78.7

7.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$12.46 $12.46

-1.12%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.49 $4.49

25.39%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.71 $2.71

37.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.95 $1.95

28.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.87 $4.87

65.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$6.07 $6.07

48.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.03 $1.03

8.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$4.60 $4.60

-18.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.97 $4.97

-34.41%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.05 $4.05

2.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$9.48 $9.48

36.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$10.57 $10.57

33.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$19.79 $19.79

-18.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$6.15 $6.15

-29.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.47 $1.47

-0.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.26 $4.26

5.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.44 $5.44

-20.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.75 $2.75

-6.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.79 $3.79

-37.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.75 $2.75

-35.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.79 $1.79

24.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$9.02 $9.02

9.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$16.77 $16.77

-10.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.58 $2.58

13.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.20 $2.20

57.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.01 $2.01

-25.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$39.37 $39.37

5.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.98 $3.98

-31.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.88 $1.88

-11.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$23.65 $23.65

49.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.03 $1.03

-7.77%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$33.6K $33.6K

7.14%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.9K $25.9K

4.67%

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

$229 $229

$192 $192

18.98%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$64.0 $64.0

-7.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$80.9 $80.9

-13.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$45.57 $45.57

25.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$19.95 $19.95

-18.15%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$17.91 $17.91

-20.27%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,915 $1,915

-21.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$41.2K $41.2K

-47.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$46.85 $46.85

12.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$41.22 $41.22

6.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$87.6 $87.6

-3.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$98.3 $98.3

4.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,791 $1,791

6.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,670 $1,670

-23.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,952 $2,952

24.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$2,714 $2,714

-6.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,673 $2,673

184.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,693 $2,693

17.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$3,747 $3,747

36.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.63

2.41%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Fort Myers, FL: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Fort Myers, FL

$1.7K 55% 31.1% $396

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Fort Myers, FL

$416 13.7% 2.8% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Fort Myers, FL

$337 11.1% 5.8% $21

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Fort Myers, FL

$346 11.4% 2.3% $8.1

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Fort Myers, FL

$123 4.1% 3.7% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Fort Myers, FL

$81 2.7% 5.1% $4.4

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Fort Myers, FL

$61 2% 3.6% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,791 in Fort Myers, FL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 37% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $79.0 in Fort Myers, FL. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $416, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Fort Myers, FL

🕒 Local time

10:52 10:52 AM

11:52 11:52 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

68,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Fort Myers, FL 1,600 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Fort Myers, 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 Myers, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Fort Myers, 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 37% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,791 in Fort Myers, FL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $3,034 in Fort Myers, FL – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 6% less than in Fort Myers, 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.

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.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Fort Myers, FL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.