Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fairfield, CA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,689 a month against $3,978 in Fairfield, CA, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

190

Cost of Living Index in Fairfield, CA
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Fairfield, CA Living Index
128

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

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Fairfield, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,978

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fairfield, CA 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 Fairfield, CA and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,978 in Fairfield, CA versus $2,689 in Austin, TX.

Fairfield, CA $3,978
Austin, TX $2,689

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,242 in Fairfield, CA versus $4,112 in Austin, TX.

Fairfield, CA $5,242
Austin, TX $4,112

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,507 in Fairfield, CA versus $5,534 in Austin, TX.

Fairfield, CA $6,507
Austin, TX $5,534

Living in Fairfield, CA is roughly 48% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fairfield, CA 194% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.62 $21.62

$21.34 $21.34

1.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$87.9 $87.9

0.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.01 $12.01

$12.44 $12.44

-3.46%

Cappuccino

$6.94 $6.94

$5.60 $5.60

23.93%

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

$3.49 $3.49

$3.65 $3.65

-4.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.39 $2.39

-15.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.98 $7.98

$7.82 $7.82

2.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 $7.16

$8.75 $8.75

-18.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.12 $1.12

25.89%

White Bread (500g)

$4.42 $4.42

$3.62 $3.62

22.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$3.50 $3.50

33.71%

Eggs

$5.54 $5.54

$4.45 $4.45

24.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.08 $14.08

$13.18 $13.18

6.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.20 $15.20

$13.94 $13.94

9.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.77 $17.77

$16.46 $16.46

7.96%

Apples (1kg)

$6.11 $6.11

$4.73 $4.73

29.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.50 $1.50

72.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.35 $6.35

$4.64 $4.64

36.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.60 $6.60

$4.52 $4.52

46.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$2.55 $2.55

52.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.39 $2.39

48.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.84 $1.84

26.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.13 $2.13

-3.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.87 $11.87

$10.05 $10.05

18.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.18 $10.18

$14.88 $14.88

-31.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.82 $2.82

-25.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$3.29 $3.29

-35.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.23 $1.23

59.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.1 $87.1

$41.43 $41.43

110.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.68 $2.68

10.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.63 $1.63

19.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.14 $29.14

$35.20 $35.20

-17.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 $1.43

$0.98 $0.98

45.92%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$34.4K $34.4K

-18.03%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.8K $26.8K

-2.59%

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

$193 $193

$252 $252

-23.61%

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

$48.25 $48.25

$59.8 $59.8

-19.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 $72.9

$69.7 $69.7

4.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$125 $125

$60.4 $60.4

107.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$73.7 $73.7

$18.14 $18.14

306.34%

Cinema Ticket

$14.61 $14.61

$13.75 $13.75

6.25%

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

$1,293 $1,293

$1,458 $1,458

-11.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K $22.3K

$26.6K $26.6K

-15.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 $51.1

$52.6 $52.6

-2.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.08 $37.08

$45.76 $45.76

-18.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$85.5 $85.5

25.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$106 $106

5.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,396 $2,396

$2,195 $2,195

9.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,432 $2,432

$1,269 $1,269

91.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,100 $3,100

$4,000 $4,000

-22.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,967 $2,967

$2,406 $2,406

23.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,719 $3,719

$7,381 $7,381

-49.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,665 $3,665

$2,964 $2,964

23.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,749 $4,749

$5,043 $5,043

-5.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.48

6.82

-4.99%

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

Last update for Fairfield, CA: November 1, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fairfield, CA

$2.4K 61.1%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2% 47.8% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Fairfield, CA

$463 11.7%

Austin, TX

$407 15.2% 12.1% $56

Eating Out

Fairfield, CA

$369 9.3%

Austin, TX

$356 13.2% 3.4% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fairfield, CA

$314 7.9%

Austin, TX

$382 14.2% 21.6% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Fairfield, CA

$155 3.9%

Austin, TX

$88 3.3% 43.1% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Fairfield, CA

$138 3.5%

Austin, TX

$130 4.9% 5.7% $7.9

Getting Around

Fairfield, CA

$108 2.7%

Austin, TX

$57 2.1% 46.9% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,396 in Fairfield, CA and $2,195 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $89 in Fairfield, CA vs $88 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $463 vs $407 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fairfield, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

05:06 5:06 AM

07:06 7:06 AM

2 h ahead of Fairfield, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,133

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Fairfield, CA Austin, TX 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Fairfield, CA
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

Fairfield, CA vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Fairfield, CA. 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 6% lower in Fairfield, CA. 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: $2,396 in Fairfield, CA versus $2,195 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,293 in Fairfield, CA versus $1,458 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 52% less than in Fairfield, CA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch 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.