Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Fort William

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort William: $2,446 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Fort William
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,446
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,446 in Fort William.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Fort William $2,446

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,571 in Fort William.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Fort William $3,571

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,696 in Fort William.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Fort William $4,696

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 9% more expensive than in Fort William, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Fort William 81% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Fort William
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$19.99 £15.00
3.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$95.5 £71.7
-11.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$10.72 £8.04
14.93%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$4.57 £3.43
23.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$2.82 £2.12
31.91%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$2.11 £1.58
18.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$6.99 £5.25
15.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$7.38 £5.53
22.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Fort William
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.42 £1.07
-21.13%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$1.72 £1.29
118.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$2.01 £1.51
62.19%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$3.54 £2.66
17.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$8.50 £6.37
51.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$10.74 £8.06
31.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$15.78 £11.84
2.79%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$2.82 £2.11
53.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.29 £0.97
13.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$1.96 £1.47
130.10%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$3.81 £2.86
13.91%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$1.09 £0.82
136.70%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.29 £0.97
82.17%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.20 £0.90
48.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$1.66 £1.25
33.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$22.41 £16.81
-55.91%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$11.19 £8.39
34.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$2.79 £2.09
4.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$3.06 £2.30
13.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Fort William
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$3.52 £2.64
-57.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
$97.5 £73.1
-57.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$4.00 £3.00
-31.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$2.36 £1.77
-29.66%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$23.90 £17.93
47.70%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.99 £1.50
-52.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$39.0K £29.2K
-7.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$40.1K £30.1K
-32.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Fort William
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$386 £289
-40.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$27.12 £20.34
118.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$42.28 £31.72
65.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Fort William
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$45.49 £34.12
25.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$11.15 £8.37
28.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Fort William
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$1,729 £1,297
-12.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$22.5K £16.9K
-4.64%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Fort William
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$94.6 £71.0
-44.20%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$48.49 £36.38
-9.63%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$103 £76.9
-17.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$114 £85.8
-9.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Fort William
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$1,213 £910
57.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$1,015 £762
25.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$2,093 £1,570
75.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$1,649 £1,237
53.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$5,043 £3,784
50.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$3,935 £2,952
-19.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Fort William
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
$2,003 £1,503
155.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
5.11
32.88%

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 William: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Fort William
$1K 20.3% $259
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Fort William
$302 25.4% $103
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Fort William
$455 27.1% $97
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Fort William
$316 10.6% $37
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Fort William
$162 26.6% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Fort William
$68 21% $18
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Fort William
$127 117% $69

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,213 in Fort William. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 156% 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $96.0 in Fort William. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $302, with Fort William cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇬🇧 Fort William
🕒 Local time
13:44 1:44 PM
19:44 7:44 PM
6 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
10,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Fort William 7,380 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Fort William

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 William: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Fort William?
Fort William 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 William the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Fort William?
Average pay runs 156% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Fort William?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,213 in Fort William. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Austin, TX compared to Fort William?
All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,446 in Fort William – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Fort William?
A monthly transit pass in Fort William runs roughly 134% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Austin, TX or in Fort William?
At $2,446 in Fort William versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Fort William but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Fort William the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Fort William?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Fort William 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.

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