Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Worth, TX and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $2,824 in Fort Worth, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Fort Worth, TX
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Fort Worth, TX Living Index
130

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

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Fort Worth, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,824

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,824 in Fort Worth, TX versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Fort Worth, TX $2,824
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,141 in Fort Worth, TX versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Fort Worth, TX $4,141
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,459 in Fort Worth, TX versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Fort Worth, TX $5,459
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Fort Worth, TX is roughly 6% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fort Worth, TX 109% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.32 $20.32

$20.77 $20.77

-2.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 $54.7

$84.6 $84.6

-35.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 $11.95

$12.32 $12.32

-3.00%

Cappuccino

$6.06 $6.06

$5.63 $5.63

7.64%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$3.72 $3.72

-24.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.50 $2.50

-0.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 $5.45

$8.05 $8.05

-32.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.98 $7.98

$9.01 $9.01

-11.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.12 $1.12

-21.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 $3.88

$3.75 $3.75

3.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$3.26 $3.26

55.83%

Eggs

$3.71 $3.71

$4.17 $4.17

-11.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 $10.74

$12.90 $12.90

-16.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.92 $14.92

$14.16 $14.16

5.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.86 $19.86

$16.22 $16.22

22.44%

Apples (1kg)

$6.31 $6.31

$4.33 $4.33

45.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.46 $1.46

82.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$4.51 $4.51

14.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$4.34 $4.34

5.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.58 $2.58

-2.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$2.35 $2.35

42.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.78 $1.78

28.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.22 $2.22

10.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.21 $9.21

$9.88 $9.88

-6.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.23 $21.23

$15.08 $15.08

40.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.92 $2.92

-29.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.46 $3.46

-6.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.49 $1.49

31.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.1 $78.1

$41.72 $41.72

87.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.73 $2.73

8.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.66 $1.66

3.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.66 $23.66

$35.30 $35.30

-32.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$0.95 $0.95

5.26%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$36.0K $36.0K

0.34%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$27.1K $27.1K

-5.43%

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

$211 $211

$229 $229

-7.69%

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

$91.2 $91.2

$59.4 $59.4

53.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.6 $82.6

$69.9 $69.9

18.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 $55.2

$57.2 $57.2

-3.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.03 $20.03

$16.33 $16.33

22.66%

Cinema Ticket

$15.49 $15.49

$14.28 $14.28

8.47%

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

$1,921 $1,921

$1,506 $1,506

27.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.6K $27.6K

$21.5K $21.5K

28.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.5 $60.5

$52.8 $52.8

14.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.66 $49.66

$43.82 $43.82

13.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$84.8 $84.8

44.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 $132

$103 $103

27.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$1,907 $1,907

-13.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 $1,304

$1,274 $1,274

2.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,776 $2,776

$3,664 $3,664

-24.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,243 $2,243

$2,538 $2,538

-11.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,075 $4,075

$7,614 $7,614

-46.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,814 $1,814

$3,157 $3,157

-42.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,469 $4,469

$5,121 $5,121

-12.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.79

-2.50%

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

Last update for Fort Worth, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fort Worth, TX

$1.3K 46.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 2.3% $30

Groceries & Markets

Fort Worth, TX

$452 16%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 10.6% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Worth, TX

$385 13.6%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 7% $27

Eating Out

Fort Worth, TX

$336 11.9%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 5.5% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Worth, TX

$164 5.8%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 21.9% $36

Getting Around

Fort Worth, TX

$97 3.5%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 39.8% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Worth, TX

$86 3.1%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 0.5% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,659 in Fort Worth, TX and $1,907 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: $55.0 in Fort Worth, TX vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $452 vs $405, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Worth, TX

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

00:07 12:07 AM

Same time as Fort Worth, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

996,756

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Fort Worth, TX Austin, TX 280 km

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Fort Worth, TX. 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 15% 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: $1,659 in Fort Worth, TX versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,824 per month in Fort Worth, TX versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 87% less than in Fort Worth, TX. 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.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Fort Worth, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.