Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Fort Wayne, IN

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort Wayne, IN: $2,122 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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
101

Cost of Living Index in Fort Wayne, IN
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Fort Wayne, IN Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Fort Wayne, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,122

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Fort Wayne, IN

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 Wayne, IN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,122 in Fort Wayne, IN.

Austin, TX $2,607
Fort Wayne, IN $2,122

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,040 in Fort Wayne, IN.

Austin, TX $4,031
Fort Wayne, IN $3,040

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $3,958 in Fort Wayne, IN.

Austin, TX $5,454
Fort Wayne, IN $3,958

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 23% more expensive than in Fort Wayne, IN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Fort Wayne, IN 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$15.16 $15.16

34.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$54.8 $54.8

54.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$10.13 $10.13

19.64%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.44 $4.44

27.25%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.29 $2.29

60.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.09 $2.09

12.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$4.59 $4.59

71.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$5.83 $5.83

51.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.73 $0.73

56.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.21 $3.21

14.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.50 $4.50

-26.44%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.65 $3.65

13.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$11.27 $11.27

15.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$9.51 $9.51

45.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$14.84 $14.84

10.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.96 $5.96

-21.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.12 $1.12

29.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.67 $3.67

39.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.37 $4.37

3.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.37 $2.37

29.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.94 $2.94

-19.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.46 $2.46

-26.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.27 $1.27

74.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$11.25 $11.25

-11.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$12.18 $12.18

23.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.02 $2.02

44.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.43 $3.43

-2.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.47 $1.47

-17.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$54.1 $54.1

-25.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.98 $2.98

-6.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.56 $1.56

5.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$26.92 $26.92

31.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.97 $0.97

-2.06%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.2K $27.2K

25.86%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.95%

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

$223 $223

$198 $198

12.72%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$50.1 $50.1

16.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$58.5 $58.5

21.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$35.65 $35.65

48.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$23.97 $23.97

-30.12%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$12.95 $12.95

8.57%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,369 $1,369

6.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$20.4K $20.4K

4.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$53.8 $53.8

-2.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$39.28 $39.28

8.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$108 $108

-20.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$94.7 $94.7

9.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,303 $1,303

62.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$942 $942

30.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,482 $2,482

55.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,419 $1,419

69.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,645 $2,645

180.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,595 $1,595

91.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,530 $3,530

46.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.53

4.44%

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 Wayne, IN: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Fort Wayne, IN

$942 44.4% 23.4% $288

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Fort Wayne, IN

$350 16.5% 14.5% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Fort Wayne, IN

$306 14.4% 13.1% $46

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Fort Wayne, IN

$257 12.1% 26.2% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Fort Wayne, IN

$133 6.3% 3.7% $4.8

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Fort Wayne, IN

$62 2.9% 24.2% $20

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Fort Wayne, IN

$71 3.3% 25.4% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,303 in Fort Wayne, IN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 47% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $55 in Fort Wayne, IN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $350 per month, with Fort Wayne, IN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Fort Wayne, IN

🕒 Local time

15:48 3:48 PM

16:48 4:48 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

248,637

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Fort Wayne, IN 1,650 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Fort Wayne, IN

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 Wayne, IN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fort Wayne, IN wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Fort Wayne, IN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 47% 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 $1,303 in Fort Wayne, IN. 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 $2,122 in Fort Wayne, IN – Fort Wayne, IN is about 19% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 25% less than in Fort Wayne, IN. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Fort Wayne, IN 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 – Fort Wayne, IN wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.