Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Collins, CO and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,816 in Fort Collins, CO, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Fort Collins, CO outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

136

Cost of Living Index in Fort Collins, CO
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Fort Collins, CO Living Index
125

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

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Fort Collins, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,816

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,816 in Fort Collins, CO versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Fort Collins, CO $2,816
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,951 in Fort Collins, CO versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Fort Collins, CO $3,951
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,085 in Fort Collins, CO versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Fort Collins, CO $5,085
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Fort Collins, CO is roughly 8% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fort Collins, CO 107% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.88 $22.88

$20.35 $20.35

12.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 $79.0

$84.7 $84.7

-6.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.24 $11.24

$12.12 $12.12

-7.26%

Cappuccino

$6.22 $6.22

$5.65 $5.65

10.09%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$3.68 $3.68

-30.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.36 $2.36

-12.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.05 $7.05

$7.87 $7.87

-10.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 $6.89

$8.82 $8.82

-21.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.14 $1.14

-9.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.69 $3.69

-18.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.31 $3.31

-15.71%

Eggs

$4.13 $4.13

$4.15 $4.15

-0.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.15 $11.15

$12.98 $12.98

-14.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 $9.23

$13.86 $13.86

-33.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.48 $19.48

$16.34 $16.34

19.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$4.69 $4.69

6.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.45 $1.45

4.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$5.11 $5.11

-5.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$4.52 $4.52

18.36%

Potato (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.08 $3.08

16.23%

Onion (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$2.38 $2.38

95.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.80 $1.80

29.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.22 $2.22

-19.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.32 $10.32

$9.97 $9.97

3.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.64 $16.64

$15.05 $15.05

10.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.91 $2.91

-15.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$3.33 $3.33

-18.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.78 $2.78

-12.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.65 $1.65

15.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.61 $24.61

$35.39 $35.39

-30.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.95 $0.95

7.37%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$34.2K $34.2K

-17.08%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.8K $26.8K

-2.27%

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

$210 $210

$223 $223

-5.77%

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

$56.6 $56.6

$58.5 $58.5

-3.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$71.2 $71.2

-0.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.8 $51.8

$53.0 $53.0

-2.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.76 $29.76

$16.75 $16.75

77.67%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 $11.96

$14.06 $14.06

-14.94%

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

$1,288 $1,288

$1,459 $1,459

-11.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K $12.6K

$21.3K $21.3K

-41.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 $59.1

$52.5 $52.5

12.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.5 $68.5

$42.75 $42.75

60.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.6 $81.6

$86.4 $86.4

-5.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$104 $104

9.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,817 $1,817

$2,112 $2,112

-13.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,499 $1,499

$1,230 $1,230

21.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,837 $2,837

$3,863 $3,863

-26.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,143 $2,143

$2,407 $2,407

-10.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,076 $4,076

$7,426 $7,426

-45.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,793 $2,793

$3,060 $3,060

-8.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,503 $4,503

$5,179 $5,179

-13.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.82

-0.73%

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

Last update for Fort Collins, CO: October 26, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fort Collins, CO

$1.5K 53.2%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 17.9% $269

Groceries & Markets

Fort Collins, CO

$388 13.8%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 5.7% $22

Eating Out

Fort Collins, CO

$359 12.7%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Collins, CO

$337 12%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 4.5% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Collins, CO

$145 5.2%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 11.7% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Collins, CO

$76 2.7%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 7.2% $5.5

Getting Around

Fort Collins, CO

$12 * 0.4%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 373% $45

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 $1,817 in Fort Collins, CO and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 15% 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 Fort Collins, CO vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $388 vs $410 per month, with Fort Collins, CO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Collins, CO

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

02:59 2:59 AM

03:59 3:59 AM

1 h ahead of Fort Collins, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

148,612

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Fort Collins, CO Austin, TX 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Fort Collins, CO
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

Fort Collins, CO vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Fort Collins, CO. 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 13% lower in Fort Collins, CO. 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: $1,817 in Fort Collins, CO versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,288 in Fort Collins, CO versus $1,459 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Fort Collins, CO – a meal for two runs $79 versus $85 in Austin, TX. 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 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.