Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Lee, NJ and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,894 in Fort Lee, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

187

Cost of Living Index in Fort Lee, NJ
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Fort Lee, NJ Living Index
125

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

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Fort Lee, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,894

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,894 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Fort Lee, NJ $3,894
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,154 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Fort Lee, NJ $6,154
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,415 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Fort Lee, NJ $8,415
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Fort Lee, NJ is roughly 49% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fort Lee, NJ 186% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.04 $25.04

$20.35 $20.35

23.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 $81.2

$84.7 $84.7

-4.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.95 $10.95

$12.12 $12.12

-9.65%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$5.65 $5.65

-5.31%

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

$2.19 $2.19

$3.68 $3.68

-40.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.36 $2.36

-35.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$7.87 $7.87

3.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$8.82 $8.82

-9.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.14 $1.14

16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$3.69 $3.69

4.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$3.31 $3.31

105.14%

Eggs

$4.63 $4.63

$4.15 $4.15

11.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.55 $12.55

$12.98 $12.98

-3.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.86 $11.86

$13.86 $13.86

-14.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.50 $17.50

$16.34 $16.34

7.10%

Apples (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$4.69 $4.69

16.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.45 $1.45

22.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.27 $6.27

$5.11 $5.11

22.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$4.52 $4.52

19.91%

Potato (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.08 $3.08

31.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$2.38 $2.38

64.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.80 $1.80

61.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.22 $2.22

22.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.78 $11.78

$9.97 $9.97

18.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 $11.86

$15.05 $15.05

-21.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.91 $2.91

-41.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$3.33 $3.33

-39.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 $2.71

$1.22 $1.22

122.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$135 $135

$40.53 $40.53

232.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.78 $2.78

8.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.65 $1.65

27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.13 $24.13

$35.39 $35.39

-31.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$0.95 $0.95

-9.47%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$34.2K $34.2K

-19.32%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$26.8K $26.8K

-1.15%

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

$215 $215

$223 $223

-3.43%

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

$75.8 $75.8

$58.5 $58.5

29.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 $64.2

$71.2 $71.2

-9.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$127 $127

$53.0 $53.0

139.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.55 $14.55

$14.06 $14.06

3.49%

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

$2,027 $2,027

$1,459 $1,459

38.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$21.3K $21.3K

11.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.93 $41.93

$52.5 $52.5

-20.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.6 $57.6

$42.75 $42.75

34.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 $77.6

$86.4 $86.4

-10.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 $84.5

$104 $104

-18.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,927 $2,927

$2,112 $2,112

38.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,299 $2,299

$1,230 $1,230

86.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,548 $6,548

$3,863 $3,863

69.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,918 $4,918

$2,407 $2,407

104.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,299 $4,299

$7,426 $7,426

-42.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,727 $3,727

$3,060 $3,060

21.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,606 $6,606

$5,179 $5,179

27.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.82

-1.03%

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

Last update for Fort Lee, NJ: October 27, 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 Lee, NJ

$2.3K 59%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 46.5% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Fort Lee, NJ

$438 11.2%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 6.4% $28

Eating Out

Fort Lee, NJ

$369 9.5%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 5.7% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Lee, NJ

$355 9.1%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 0.8% $2.7

Getting Around

Fort Lee, NJ

$159 4.1%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 64.5% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Lee, NJ

$156 4%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 47.9% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Lee, NJ

$118 3%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 9.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,927 in Fort Lee, NJ and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Lee, NJ pays 28% 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: $81 in Fort Lee, NJ vs $85 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $438 vs $410, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Lee, NJ

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

08:12 8:12 AM

07:12 7:12 AM

1 h behind Fort Lee, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,008

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Fort Lee, NJ Austin, TX 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Fort Lee, NJ
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 Lee, NJ vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 28% higher in Fort Lee, NJ, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,927 in Fort Lee, NJ 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 $3,894 per month in Fort Lee, NJ versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 70% less than in Fort Lee, NJ. 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.

It comes down to priorities – Austin, TX wins on affordability, Fort Lee, NJ on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.