Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Fort Walton Beach, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort Walton Beach, FL: $2,174 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Fort Walton Beach, FL
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Fort Walton Beach, FL Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Fort Walton Beach, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,174

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,174 in Fort Walton Beach, FL.

Austin, TX $2,607
Fort Walton Beach, FL $2,174

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,364 in Fort Walton Beach, FL.

Austin, TX $4,031
Fort Walton Beach, FL $3,364

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,554 in Fort Walton Beach, FL.

Austin, TX $5,454
Fort Walton Beach, FL $4,554

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 20% more expensive than in Fort Walton Beach, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Fort Walton Beach, FL 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$15.19 $15.19

33.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$78.8 $78.8

7.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$10.41 $10.41

16.43%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.35 $5.35

5.61%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.71 $2.71

35.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.07 $2.07

14.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.07 $5.07

55.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.06 $7.06

24.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.02 $1.02

11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.85 $2.85

29.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.00 $2.00

65.50%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$2.98 $2.98

39.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$11.32 $11.32

14.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$9.91 $9.91

39.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$13.98 $13.98

16.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.45 $3.45

35.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.57 $1.57

-7.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.24 $3.24

57.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.94 $2.94

53.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.46 $1.46

110.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.07 $2.07

14.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.67 $1.67

7.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.49 $1.49

48.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$8.95 $8.95

11.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$8.64 $8.64

74.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.84 $1.84

58.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.06 $2.06

61.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.98 $1.98

-38.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$49.46 $49.46

-18.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$5.93 $5.93

-53.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.84 $1.84

-10.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$44.95 $44.95

-21.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$26.1K $26.1K

31.12%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.5K $26.5K

1.02%

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

$223 $223

$171 $171

30.40%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$49.01 $49.01

19.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$64.7 $64.7

10.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$47.37 $47.37

11.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$13.77 $13.77

2.11%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$829 $829

75.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$13.8K $13.8K

55.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$29.98 $29.98

75.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$20.32 $20.32

110.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$97.7 $97.7

-11.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$107 $107

-2.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,654 $1,654

27.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,049 $1,049

17.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,872 $2,872

34.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,022 $2,022

19.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$4,673 $4,673

58.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$4,677 $4,677

-34.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,346 $3,346

54.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.42

6.23%

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 Walton Beach, FL: 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 Walton Beach, FL

$1K 48.3% 14.7% $181

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$302 13.9% 26.3% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$285 13.1% 19.3% $68

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$275 12.7% 20.9% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$115 5.3% 10.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$75 3.5% 7.7% $6.3

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$72 3.3% 28.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,654 in Fort Walton Beach, FL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 55% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $79 in Fort Walton Beach, FL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $302 per month, with Fort Walton Beach, FL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Fort Walton Beach, FL

🕒 Local time

04:42 4:42 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

19,507

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Fort Walton Beach, FL 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Fort Walton Beach, FL wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Fort Walton Beach, FL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 55% 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 $1,654 in Fort Walton Beach, 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 $2,174 in Fort Walton Beach, FL – Fort Walton Beach, FL is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 18% less than in Fort Walton Beach, FL. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Fort Walton Beach, FL gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Fort Walton Beach, FL is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Austin, TX, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Fort Walton Beach, FL wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.