Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Fort Scott, KS

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort Scott, KS: $2,480 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
120

Cost of Living Index in Fort Scott, KS
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Fort Scott, KS Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Fort Scott, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,480

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Fort Scott, KS

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 Scott, KS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,480 in Fort Scott, KS.

Austin, TX $2,698
Fort Scott, KS $2,480

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,004 in Fort Scott, KS.

Austin, TX $4,160
Fort Scott, KS $3,004

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $3,527 in Fort Scott, KS.

Austin, TX $5,622
Fort Scott, KS $3,527

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 9% more expensive than in Fort Scott, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Fort Scott, KS 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$16.44 $16.44

25.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$77.7 $77.7

8.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$9.47 $9.47

27.46%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.63 $5.63

-2.66%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.13 $2.13

78.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.63 $1.63

51.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.15 $6.15

30.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$6.80 $6.80

30.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.97 $0.97

14.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.02 $4.02

-7.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$5.92 $5.92

-43.07%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$5.34 $5.34

-19.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$8.21 $8.21

59.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$8.73 $8.73

62.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$13.60 $13.60

20.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.59 $4.59

-0.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.52 $1.52

-3.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.70 $2.70

74.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.61 $4.61

-9.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.92 $1.92

34.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.47 $2.47

-4.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.51 $1.51

17.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.01 $2.01

6.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$9.07 $9.07

11.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$18.64 $18.64

-18.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.51 $2.51

12.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$4.37 $4.37

-21.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.84 $1.84

-16.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.08 $3.08

-9.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.99 $1.99

-19.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$31.87 $31.87

7.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.00 $1.00

-6.00%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.1K $27.1K

25.21%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

3.02%

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

$223 $223

$176 $176

26.47%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$55.6 $55.6

6.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$63.2 $63.2

11.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$38.63 $38.63

49.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$10.05 $10.05

41.89%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,056 $1,056

43.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$25.9K $25.9K

-19.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$59.1 $59.1

-13.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$50.6 $50.6

-12.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$111 $111

-21.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$120 $120

-13.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,625 $1,625

19.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,297 $1,297

1.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,552 $2,552

43.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$878 $878

192.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,522 $2,522

191.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,721 $2,721

15.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.77

0.30%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Fort Scott, KS: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Fort Scott, KS

$1.3K 52.3% 1.5% $20

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Fort Scott, KS

$369 14.9% 9% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Fort Scott, KS

$295 11.9% 16.3% $57

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Fort Scott, KS

$287 11.6% 18% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Fort Scott, KS

$153 6.2% 18.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Fort Scott, KS

$59 2.4% 31.9% $28

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Fort Scott, KS

$20 * 0.8% 64.8% $38

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 $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,625 in Fort Scott, KS. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $78.0 in Fort Scott, KS for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $369 per month, with Fort Scott, KS cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Fort Scott, KS

🕒 Local time

05:20 5:20 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

7,700

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Fort Scott, KS 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Fort Scott, KS

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 Scott, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fort Scott, KS wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fort Scott, KS the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $3,721 in Fort Scott, KS to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,625 in Fort Scott, KS. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,056 in Fort Scott, KS. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Fort Scott, KS – a meal for two runs $78.0 versus $85.0 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. Fort Scott, KS 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 Fort Scott, KS gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.