Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,395 in Fontana, CA, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Fontana, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

164

Cost of Living Index in Fontana, CA
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Fontana, CA Living Index
125

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

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Fontana, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,395

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,395 in Fontana, CA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Fontana, CA $3,395
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,018 in Fontana, CA versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Fontana, CA $5,018
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,640 in Fontana, CA versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Fontana, CA $6,640
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Fontana, CA is roughly 30% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fontana, CA 149% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.08 $20.08

$20.35 $20.35

-1.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 $78.8

$84.7 $84.7

-6.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.72 $14.72

$12.12 $12.12

21.45%

Cappuccino

$5.73 $5.73

$5.65 $5.65

1.42%

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

$3.40 $3.40

$3.68 $3.68

-7.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.36 $2.36

4.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.28 $7.28

$7.87 $7.87

-7.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.61 $9.61

$8.82 $8.82

8.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.14 $1.14

-7.89%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 $4.13

$3.69 $3.69

11.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$3.31 $3.31

42.60%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.15 $4.15

21.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.11 $13.11

$12.98 $12.98

1.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.87 $8.87

$13.86 $13.86

-36.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.70 $15.70

$16.34 $16.34

-3.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.69 $4.69

0.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.45 $1.45

49.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$5.11 $5.11

-23.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$4.52 $4.52

20.58%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$3.08 $3.08

22.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.38 $2.38

-7.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.80 $1.80

11.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.22 $2.22

-13.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.72 $11.72

$9.97 $9.97

17.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 $15.27

$15.05 $15.05

1.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.91 $2.91

-30.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.33 $3.33

22.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.43 $45.43

$40.53 $40.53

12.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 $6.12

$2.78 $2.78

120.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$0.95 $0.95

61.05%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$34.2K $34.2K

-17.28%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.8K $26.8K

-2.84%

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

$221 $221

$223 $223

-0.73%

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

$79.0 $79.0

$58.5 $58.5

35.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 $60.0

$71.2 $71.2

-15.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$15.18 $15.18

$14.06 $14.06

7.97%

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

$1,195 $1,195

$1,459 $1,459

-18.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 $57.0

$52.5 $52.5

8.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.72 $40.72

$42.75 $42.75

-4.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$86.4 $86.4

7.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$104 $104

-0.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,970 $1,970

$2,112 $2,112

-6.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,071 $2,071

$1,230 $1,230

68.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,187 $3,187

$3,863 $3,863

-17.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,737 $3,737

$2,407 $2,407

55.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,906 $4,906

$5,179 $5,179

-5.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

6.82

-7.48%

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

Last update for Fontana, CA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fontana, CA

$2.1K 61%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 40.6% $841

Groceries & Markets

Fontana, CA

$397 11.7%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 3.3% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fontana, CA

$360 10.6%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 2.1% $7.7

Eating Out

Fontana, CA

$353 10.4%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 1.3% $4.6

Clothing & Footwear

Fontana, CA

$132 3.9%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 2.9% $3.8

Getting Around

Fontana, CA

$52 * 1.5%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 9.5% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Fontana, CA

$30 * 0.9%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 167% $51

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 $1,970 in Fontana, CA and $2,112 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: $79 in Fontana, CA vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $397 vs $410 per month, with Fontana, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fontana, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

20:13 8:13 PM

22:13 10:13 PM

2 h ahead of Fontana, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

210,000

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Fontana, CA Austin, TX 1,900 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Fontana, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Fontana, 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 5% lower in Fontana, 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: $1,970 in Fontana, CA versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,395 per month in Fontana, CA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – Austin, TX is about 23% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 11% less than in Fontana, 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.