Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fargo, ND and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Fargo, ND: $2,026 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

97

Cost of Living Index in Fargo, ND
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Fargo, ND Living Index
129

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

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Fargo, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,026

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,026 in Fargo, ND versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Fargo, ND $2,026
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,226 in Fargo, ND versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Fargo, ND $3,226
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,426 in Fargo, ND versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Fargo, ND $4,426
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Fargo, ND costs roughly 25% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fargo, ND 49% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.26 $17.26

$20.63 $20.63

-16.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 $60.7

$84.6 $84.6

-28.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 $11.73

$12.07 $12.07

-2.82%

Cappuccino

$5.15 $5.15

$5.48 $5.48

-6.02%

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

$2.58 $2.58

$3.80 $3.80

-32.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.47 $2.47

-17.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 $5.34

$8.05 $8.05

-33.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.13 $9.13

$8.88 $8.88

2.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.11 $1.11

14.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 $3.52

$3.72 $3.72

-5.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.52 $7.52

$3.37 $3.37

123.15%

Eggs

$4.04 $4.04

$4.32 $4.32

-6.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.80 $14.80

$13.13 $13.13

12.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.50 $15.50

$14.15 $14.15

9.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.19 $21.19

$16.33 $16.33

29.76%

Apples (1kg)

$10.51 $10.51

$4.55 $4.55

130.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.46 $1.46

61.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.59 $6.59

$4.71 $4.71

39.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$4.15 $4.15

31.08%

Potato (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$2.58 $2.58

88.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$2.35 $2.35

62.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.77 $1.77

13.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.14 $2.14

22.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.77 $8.77

$10.10 $10.10

-13.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.54 $18.54

$15.19 $15.19

22.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.82 $2.82

-9.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 $5.44

$3.44 $3.44

58.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.54 $1.54

-4.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.33 $41.33

$40.99 $40.99

0.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.80 $2.80

61.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.94 $0.94

4.26%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$34.0K $34.0K

-20.65%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.8K $26.8K

-3.33%

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

$136 $136

$223 $223

-39.02%

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

$58.2 $58.2

$58.9 $58.9

-1.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.3 $57.3

$70.6 $70.6

-18.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 $57.1

$57.7 $57.7

-0.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$13.79 $13.79

$14.26 $14.26

-3.30%

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

$1,244 $1,244

$1,511 $1,511

-17.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 $51.0

$51.3 $51.3

-0.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.99 $45.99

$44.17 $44.17

4.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 $84.7

$87.0 $87.0

-2.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$104 $104

-1.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$954 $954

$1,940 $1,940

-50.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 $689

$1,316 $1,316

-47.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,252 $2,252

$3,664 $3,664

-38.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 $1,452

$2,565 $2,565

-43.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,898 $1,898

$7,354 $7,354

-74.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,673 $1,673

$3,129 $3,129

-46.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,824 $3,824

$5,286 $5,286

-27.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

6.79

-5.30%

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

Last update for Fargo, ND: 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

Fargo, ND

$689 34%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 91.1% $627

Groceries & Markets

Fargo, ND

$522 25.8%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 22.3% $116

Eating Out

Fargo, ND

$299 14.7%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 17.3% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fargo, ND

$251 12.4%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 40.1% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Fargo, ND

$128 6.3%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 0.6% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Fargo, ND

$85 4.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 1.8% $1.5

Getting Around

Fargo, ND

$52 * 2.6%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 12% $6.2

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 $954 in Fargo, ND and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 38% 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: $61.0 in Fargo, ND vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $522 vs $406, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fargo, ND

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

04:32 4:32 AM

Same time as Fargo, ND

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,056

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Fargo, ND Austin, TX 1,850 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Fargo, ND
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

Fargo, ND vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fargo, ND wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fargo, ND the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 38% 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: $954 in Fargo, ND 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 $2,026 per month in Fargo, ND versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

At $2,026 in Fargo, ND versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Fargo, ND but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Fargo, ND the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Fargo, ND delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,026 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Fargo, ND hard to pass up.

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

Expats usually find Fargo, ND gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.