Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Madison, IA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort Madison, IA: $2,559 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Fort Madison, IA
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Fort Madison, IA Living Index
129

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

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Fort Madison, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,559

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Fort Madison, IA $2,559
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,754 in Fort Madison, IA versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Fort Madison, IA $3,754
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,950 in Fort Madison, IA versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Fort Madison, IA $4,950
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Fort Madison, IA costs roughly 5% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fort Madison, IA 89% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.82 $19.82

$20.63 $20.63

-3.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.2 $76.2

$84.6 $84.6

-9.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 $11.40

$12.07 $12.07

-5.55%

Cappuccino

$5.49 $5.49

$5.48 $5.48

0.18%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$3.80 $3.80

-30.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.47 $2.47

-19.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.13 $6.13

$8.05 $8.05

-23.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 $7.37

$8.88 $8.88

-17.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.11 $1.11

-5.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.72 $3.72

-7.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$3.37 $3.37

27.60%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.32 $4.32

-3.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$13.13 $13.13

-4.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 $11.33

$14.15 $14.15

-19.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.07 $17.07

$16.33 $16.33

4.53%

Apples (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$4.55 $4.55

7.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.46 $1.46

8.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$4.71 $4.71

-10.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$4.15 $4.15

16.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$2.58 $2.58

10.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.35 $2.35

25.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.77 $1.77

20.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.14 $2.14

3.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

Wine (Bottle)

$15.04 $15.04

$15.19 $15.19

-0.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.82 $2.82

-40.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$3.44 $3.44

-12.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.54 $1.54

47.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.80 $2.80

18.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.60 $1.60

10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.70 $31.70

$34.34 $34.34

-7.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$0.94 $0.94

-2.13%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$34.0K $34.0K

-21.86%

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

$23.8K $23.8K

$26.8K $26.8K

-11.02%

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

$201 $201

$223 $223

-9.53%

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

$59.0 $59.0

$58.9 $58.9

0.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.0 $71.0

$70.6 $70.6

0.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.05 $41.05

$57.7 $57.7

-28.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.14 $14.14

$14.26 $14.26

-0.84%

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

$1,439 $1,439

$1,511 $1,511

-4.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$20.9K $20.9K

13.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 $53.8

$51.3 $51.3

4.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.89 $40.89

$44.17 $44.17

-7.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 $88.0

$87.0 $87.0

1.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$104 $104

9.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,582 $1,582

$1,940 $1,940

-18.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 $1,287

$1,316 $1,316

-2.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,533 $2,533

$3,664 $3,664

-30.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 $2,141

$2,565 $2,565

-16.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 $2,414

$7,354 $7,354

-67.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,589 $2,589

$3,129 $3,129

-17.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.79

-3.24%

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

Last update for Fort Madison, IA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fort Madison, IA

$1.3K 50.3%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 2.3% $29

Groceries & Markets

Fort Madison, IA

$393 15.4%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 3.2% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Madison, IA

$331 13%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 6.3% $21

Eating Out

Fort Madison, IA

$322 12.6%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 8.6% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Madison, IA

$134 5.2%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 3.6% $4.8

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Madison, IA

$69 2.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 24.4% $17

Getting Around

Fort Madison, IA

$21 * 0.8%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 173% $37

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 $1,582 in Fort Madison, IA and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $76.0 in Fort Madison, IA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $406 per month, with Fort Madison, IA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Madison, IA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

19:07 7:07 PM

Same time as Fort Madison, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,270

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Fort Madison, IA Austin, TX 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Fort Madison, IA
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 Madison, IA vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fort Madison, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fort Madison, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,838 in Fort Madison, IA and $4,046 in Austin, TX to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,582 in Fort Madison, IA versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,439 in Fort Madison, IA versus $1,511 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 Madison, IA – a meal for two runs $76.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Fort Madison, IA 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.

Safety-wise, Fort Madison, IA 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 Fort Madison, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.