Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arlington, WA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $2,803 in Arlington, WA, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

136

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, WA
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Arlington, WA Living Index
130

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

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Arlington, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,803

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,803 in Arlington, WA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Arlington, WA $2,803
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,283 in Arlington, WA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Arlington, WA $4,283
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,763 in Arlington, WA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Arlington, WA $5,763
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Arlington, WA is roughly 5% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arlington, WA 108% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.98 $24.98

$20.77 $20.77

20.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$84.6 $84.6

19.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.24 $14.24

$12.32 $12.32

15.58%

Cappuccino

$5.88 $5.88

$5.63 $5.63

4.44%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$3.72 $3.72

-18.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.50 $2.50

21.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.16 $7.16

$8.05 $8.05

-11.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 $6.81

$9.01 $9.01

-24.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.12 $1.12

-8.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.66 $3.66

$3.75 $3.75

-2.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.26 $3.26

28.53%

Eggs

$3.94 $3.94

$4.17 $4.17

-5.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.98 $13.98

$12.90 $12.90

8.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.33 $13.33

$14.16 $14.16

-5.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.00 $23.00

$16.22 $16.22

41.80%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.33 $4.33

22.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.46 $1.46

30.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$4.51 $4.51

-6.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$4.34 $4.34

13.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.58 $2.58

-21.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.35 $2.35

2.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.78 $1.78

55.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.22 $2.22

12.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.72 $12.72

$9.88 $9.88

28.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.77 $14.77

$15.08 $15.08

-2.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.92 $2.92

-32.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 $4.39

$3.46 $3.46

26.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.73 $2.73

-4.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.66 $1.66

3.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.78 $29.78

$35.30 $35.30

-15.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 $1.36

$0.95 $0.95

43.16%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$36.0K $36.0K

0.10%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$27.1K $27.1K

-6.97%

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

$293 $293

$229 $229

27.80%

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

$69.9 $69.9

$59.4 $59.4

17.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.2 $89.2

$69.9 $69.9

27.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.54 $33.54

$57.2 $57.2

-41.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$16.84 $16.84

$14.28 $14.28

17.93%

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

$2,983 $2,983

$1,506 $1,506

98.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.9K $30.9K

$21.5K $21.5K

44.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 $50.9

$52.8 $52.8

-3.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 $54.5

$43.82 $43.82

24.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$84.8 $84.8

18.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$103 $103

30.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 $1,522

$1,907 $1,907

-20.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 $1,297

$1,274 $1,274

1.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,826 $2,826

$3,664 $3,664

-22.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,454 $2,454

$2,538 $2,538

-3.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,858 $5,858

$5,121 $5,121

14.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.79

0.29%

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

Last update for Arlington, WA: 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

Arlington, WA

$1.3K 46.3%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 1.7% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arlington, WA

$452 16.1%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 20.7% $93

Groceries & Markets

Arlington, WA

$436 15.6%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 7.3% $32

Eating Out

Arlington, WA

$387 13.8%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 8.5% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Arlington, WA

$153 5.5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 16.4% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Arlington, WA

$67 2.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 27.6% $19

Getting Around

Arlington, WA

$11 * 0.4%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 426% $48

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 $1,522 in Arlington, WA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arlington, WA pays 14% 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: $101 in Arlington, WA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $436 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Arlington, WA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

15:30 3:30 PM

17:30 5:30 PM

2 h ahead of Arlington, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

365,438

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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Between locations

Arlington, WA Austin, TX 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Arlington, WA
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

Arlington, WA vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arlington, WA and Austin, TX differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,803 vs $2,663 including rent). Austin, TX is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 14% higher in Arlington, WA, 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: $1,522 in Arlington, WA versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Arlington, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,803 per month in Arlington, WA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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 5% less than in Arlington, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.