Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fairbanks, AK and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,000 in Fairbanks, AK, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

145

Cost of Living Index in Fairbanks, AK
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Fairbanks, AK Living Index
129

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

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Fairbanks, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$3,000

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fairbanks, AK and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Fairbanks, AK and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,000 in Fairbanks, AK versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Fairbanks, AK $3,000
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,408 in Fairbanks, AK versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Fairbanks, AK $4,408
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,816 in Fairbanks, AK versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Fairbanks, AK $5,816
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Fairbanks, AK is roughly 11% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fairbanks, AK 121% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.10 $25.10

$20.63 $20.63

21.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.1 $99.1

$84.6 $84.6

17.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.27 $15.27

$12.07 $12.07

26.51%

Cappuccino

$6.07 $6.07

$5.48 $5.48

10.77%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$3.80 $3.80

-29.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.47 $2.47

-17.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.83 $6.83

$8.05 $8.05

-15.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.07 $10.07

$8.88 $8.88

13.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.11 $1.11

1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$5.38 $5.38

$3.72 $3.72

44.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$3.37 $3.37

41.84%

Eggs

$4.36 $4.36

$4.32 $4.32

0.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.93 $21.93

$13.13 $13.13

67.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.66 $8.66

$14.15 $14.15

-38.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.87 $20.87

$16.33 $16.33

27.80%

Apples (1kg)

$7.54 $7.54

$4.55 $4.55

65.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.46 $1.46

48.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.03 $6.03

$4.71 $4.71

28.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.24 $6.24

$4.15 $4.15

50.36%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.58 $2.58

38.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.35 $2.35

57.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.77 $1.77

57.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.14 $2.14

-5.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.10 $12.10

$10.10 $10.10

19.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.20 $12.20

$15.19 $15.19

-19.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.82 $2.82

-37.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.54 $1.54

-1.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.60 $40.60

$40.99 $40.99

-0.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 $3.60

$2.80 $2.80

28.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.60 $1.60

35.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.97 $44.97

$34.34 $34.34

30.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.94 $0.94

36.17%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$34.0K $34.0K

-23.64%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-7.67%

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

$212 $212

$223 $223

-4.65%

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

$61.3 $61.3

$58.9 $58.9

4.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$139 $139

$70.6 $70.6

97.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.0 $98.0

$57.7 $57.7

69.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$18.10 $18.10

$14.26 $14.26

26.93%

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

$1,845 $1,845

$1,511 $1,511

22.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 $59.4

$51.3 $51.3

15.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.78 $39.78

$44.17 $44.17

-9.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

$87.0 $87.0

38.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$104 $104

14.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 $1,612

$1,940 $1,940

-16.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,381 $1,381

$1,316 $1,316

4.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,580 $2,580

$3,664 $3,664

-29.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,230 $2,230

$2,565 $2,565

-13.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,244 $2,244

$7,354 $7,354

-69.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,000 $2,000

$3,129 $3,129

-36.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,941 $3,941

$5,286 $5,286

-25.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.71

6.79

-1.18%

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

Last update for Fairbanks, AK: October 20, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fairbanks, AK

$1.4K 46%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 4.7% $64

Groceries & Markets

Fairbanks, AK

$466 * 15.5%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 12.9% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fairbanks, AK

$413 13.8%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 14.7% $61

Eating Out

Fairbanks, AK

$393 13.1%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 10.8% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Fairbanks, AK

$152 5.1%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 15.3% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Fairbanks, AK

$134 4.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 35.8% $48

Getting Around

Fairbanks, AK

$61 2%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 5.2% $3.1

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 $1,612 in Fairbanks, AK and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $99.0 in Fairbanks, AK vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $466 vs $406 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fairbanks, AK

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

06:21 6:21 AM

09:21 9:21 AM

3 h ahead of Fairbanks, AK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,515

974,447

💱 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

Fairbanks, AK Austin, TX 5,130 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Fairbanks, AK
Austin, TX

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

Fairbanks, AK vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Fairbanks, AK. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,612 in Fairbanks, AK versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,000 per month in Fairbanks, AK versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 1% less than in Fairbanks, AK. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Fairbanks, AK. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.