Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Lafayette, CO

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Lafayette, CO: $2,698 and $2,709 a month, rent and utilities included.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Lafayette, CO
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Lafayette, CO Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Lafayette, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,709

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Lafayette, CO

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,709 in Lafayette, CO.

Austin, TX $2,698
Lafayette, CO $2,709

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,773 in Lafayette, CO.

Austin, TX $4,160
Lafayette, CO $3,773

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,838 in Lafayette, CO.

Austin, TX $5,622
Lafayette, CO $4,838

Monthly costs are close between Austin, TX and Lafayette, CO; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Lafayette, CO 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$19.61 $19.61

5.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$73.7 $73.7

14.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.26 $10.26

17.64%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.25 $5.25

4.38%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.70 $2.70

40.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.97 $1.97

25.38%

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

$7.35 $7.35

20.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.92 $0.92

20.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.99 $3.99

-6.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.03 $4.03

-16.38%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.25 $4.25

1.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$11.55 $11.55

13.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.42 $11.42

23.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$18.04 $18.04

-9.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.86 $4.86

-6.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.58 $1.58

-7.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.79 $4.79

-1.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.16 $5.16

-19.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.46 $2.46

4.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.32 $3.32

-29.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.40 $2.40

-26.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.08 $2.08

2.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$8.97 $8.97

12.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.93 $14.93

1.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.98 $1.98

42.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.49 $3.49

-1.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.26 $2.26

-31.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.01 $3.01

-6.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.57 $1.57

1.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$30.06 $30.06

14.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.04 $1.04

-9.62%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$25.1K $25.1K

35.35%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.4K $27.4K

-2.14%

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

$223 $223

$159 $159

40.03%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$59.5 $59.5

-0.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$67.9 $67.9

3.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$41.03 $41.03

40.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$12.89 $12.89

10.63%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,302 $1,302

16.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$24.5K $24.5K

-14.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$57.5 $57.5

-10.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$37.42 $37.42

18.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$80.6 $80.6

7.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$102 $102

2.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,455 $1,455

33.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,494 $1,494

-11.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,743 $2,743

33.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,107 $2,107

21.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,612 $2,612

181.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,537 $2,537

23.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.57

3.35%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lafayette, CO: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Lafayette, CO

$1.5K 55.2% 13.5% $178

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Lafayette, CO

$402 14.8% 1% $3.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Lafayette, CO

$286 10.6% 18.7% $66

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Lafayette, CO

$315 11.6% 10.1% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Lafayette, CO

$125 4.6% 3.4% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Lafayette, CO

$67 2.5% 22.5% $19

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Lafayette, CO

$20 * 0.7% 65.6% $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 $1,455 in Lafayette, CO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $74.0 in Lafayette, CO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $402 per month, with Lafayette, CO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Lafayette, CO

🕒 Local time

19:26 7:26 PM

18:26 6:26 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

27,729

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Lafayette, CO 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Lafayette, CO

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 Lafayette, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $4,063 in Lafayette, CO 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 $1,455 in Lafayette, CO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lafayette, CO pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $74.0 in Lafayette, CO. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,698 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Lafayette, CO are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

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