Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lafayette, CO and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Lafayette, CO and in Austin, TX: $2,709 and $2,698 a month, rent and utilities included.

122

Cost of Living Index in Lafayette, CO
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Lafayette, CO Living Index
129

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

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Lafayette, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,709

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,709 in Lafayette, CO versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Lafayette, CO $2,709
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,773 in Lafayette, CO versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Lafayette, CO $3,773
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,838 in Lafayette, CO versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Lafayette, CO $4,838
Austin, TX $5,622

Monthly costs are close between Lafayette, CO and Austin, TX; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lafayette, CO 100% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.61 $19.61

$20.63 $20.63

-4.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.7 $73.7

$84.6 $84.6

-12.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.26 $10.26

$12.07 $12.07

-15.00%

Cappuccino

$5.25 $5.25

$5.48 $5.48

-4.20%

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

$2.70 $2.70

$3.80 $3.80

-28.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.47 $2.47

-20.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.15 $6.15

$8.05 $8.05

-23.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.35 $7.35

$8.88 $8.88

-17.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.11 $1.11

-17.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.99 $3.99

$3.72 $3.72

7.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$3.37 $3.37

19.58%

Eggs

$4.25 $4.25

$4.32 $4.32

-1.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.55 $11.55

$13.13 $13.13

-12.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.42 $11.42

$14.15 $14.15

-19.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$16.33 $16.33

10.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$4.55 $4.55

6.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.46 $1.46

8.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$4.71 $4.71

1.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$4.15 $4.15

24.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.58 $2.58

-4.65%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.35 $2.35

41.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.77 $1.77

35.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.14 $2.14

-2.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.97 $8.97

$10.10 $10.10

-11.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.93 $14.93

$15.19 $15.19

-1.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.82 $2.82

-29.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.44 $3.44

1.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.54 $1.54

46.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.80 $2.80

7.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.60 $1.60

-1.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.06 $30.06

$34.34 $34.34

-12.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$0.94 $0.94

10.64%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$34.0K $34.0K

-26.12%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$26.8K $26.8K

2.19%

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

$159 $159

$223 $223

-28.59%

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

$59.5 $59.5

$58.9 $58.9

1.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.9 $67.9

$70.6 $70.6

-3.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.03 $41.03

$57.7 $57.7

-28.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$12.89 $12.89

$14.26 $14.26

-9.61%

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

$1,302 $1,302

$1,511 $1,511

-13.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K $24.5K

$20.9K $20.9K

17.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 $57.5

$51.3 $51.3

12.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.42 $37.42

$44.17 $44.17

-15.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.6 $80.6

$87.0 $87.0

-7.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$104 $104

-2.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 $1,455

$1,940 $1,940

-25.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 $1,494

$1,316 $1,316

13.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,743 $2,743

$3,664 $3,664

-25.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 $2,107

$2,565 $2,565

-17.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,612 $2,612

$7,354 $7,354

-64.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,537 $2,537

$3,129 $3,129

-18.92%

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 Lafayette, CO: October 19, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lafayette, CO

$1.5K 55.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 11.9% $178

Groceries & Markets

Lafayette, CO

$402 14.8%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 1% $3.9

Eating Out

Lafayette, CO

$315 11.6%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 11.2% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lafayette, CO

$286 10.6%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 23% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Lafayette, CO

$125 4.6%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 3.5% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Lafayette, CO

$67 2.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 29.1% $19

Getting Around

Lafayette, CO

$20 * 0.7%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 191% $38

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 $1,455 in Lafayette, CO and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $74.0 in Lafayette, CO vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $402 vs $406 per month, with Lafayette, CO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lafayette, CO

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

13:32 1:32 PM

14:32 2:32 PM

1 h ahead of Lafayette, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,729

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lafayette, CO Austin, TX 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Lafayette, 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

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

You'd need roughly $4,063 in Lafayette, CO 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: $1,455 in Lafayette, CO versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lafayette, CO pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $74.0 in Lafayette, CO. 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 work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,698 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lafayette, CO 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.

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