Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Auburn, WA and in Austin, TX: $2,589 and $2,698 a month, rent and utilities included.

Auburn, WA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,589
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,698
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,589 per month in Auburn, WA vs $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent included.

  • Auburn, WA $2,589
  • Austin, TX $2,698

A couple spends around $4,092 per month in Auburn, WA vs $4,160 in Austin, TX, rent included.

  • Auburn, WA $4,092
  • Austin, TX $4,160

A family of three spends $5,595 per month in Auburn, WA vs $5,622 in Austin, TX, rent included.

  • Auburn, WA $5,595
  • Austin, TX $5,622

Auburn, WA is about 4% cheaper than Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Auburn, WA and Austin, TX sit above the global median – Auburn, WA by 91%, Austin, TX by 99%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Auburn, WA
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.69 $19.69
$20.63 $20.63
-4.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$96.2 $96.2
$84.6 $84.6
13.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.71 $11.71
$12.07 $12.07
-2.98%
Cappuccino
$4.46 $4.46
$5.48 $5.48
-18.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 $2.05
$3.80 $3.80
-46.05%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 $2.01
$2.47 $2.47
-18.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.93 $4.93
$8.05 $8.05
-38.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.18 $7.18
$8.88 $8.88
-19.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Auburn, WA
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.89 $0.89
$1.11 $1.11
-19.82%
White Bread (500g)
$2.56 $2.56
$3.72 $3.72
-31.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.75 $3.75
$3.37 $3.37
11.28%
Eggs
$3.04 $3.04
$4.32 $4.32
-29.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.58 $8.58
$13.13 $13.13
-34.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.75 $13.75
$14.15 $14.15
-2.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.56 $18.56
$16.33 $16.33
13.66%
Apples (1kg)
$4.75 $4.75
$4.55 $4.55
4.40%
Banana (1kg)
$1.80 $1.80
$1.46 $1.46
23.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.81 $3.81
$4.71 $4.71
-19.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.15 $4.15
$4.15 $4.15
-
Potato (1kg)
$3.11 $3.11
$2.58 $2.58
20.54%
Onion (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$2.35 $2.35
38.72%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.83 $1.83
$1.77 $1.77
3.39%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.11 $2.11
$2.14 $2.14
-1.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.79 $10.79
$10.10 $10.10
6.83%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.03 $15.03
$15.19 $15.19
-1.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 $1.70
$2.82 $2.82
-39.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$3.44 $3.44
-15.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Auburn, WA
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.54 $1.54
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$40.99 $40.99
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.54 $3.54
$2.80 $2.80
26.43%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.84 $1.84
$1.60 $1.60
15.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$50.2 $50.2
$34.34 $34.34
46.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 $1.30
$0.94 $0.94
38.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.6K $25.6K
$34.0K $34.0K
-24.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K $24.5K
$26.8K $26.8K
-8.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Auburn, WA
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$216 $216
$223 $223
-2.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$40.51 $40.51
$58.9 $58.9
-31.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$79.5 $79.5
$70.6 $70.6
12.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Auburn, WA
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.39 $34.39
$57.7 $57.7
-40.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.53 $16.53
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.77 $14.77
$14.26 $14.26
3.58%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Auburn, WA
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,077 $1,077
$1,511 $1,511
-28.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K $16.8K
$20.9K $20.9K
-19.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Auburn, WA
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.7 $55.7
$51.3 $51.3
8.56%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.82 $46.82
$44.17 $44.17
6.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.9 $78.9
$87.0 $87.0
-9.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$81.3 $81.3
$104 $104
-22.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Auburn, WA
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,470 $1,470
$1,940 $1,940
-24.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,381 $1,381
$1,316 $1,316
4.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,298 $2,298
$3,664 $3,664
-37.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,844 $2,844
$2,565 $2,565
10.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,354 $7,354
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,129 $3,129
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Auburn, WA
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$6,864 $6,864
$5,286 $5,286
29.84%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.59
6.79
-2.95%

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

Last update for Auburn, WA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Auburn, WA
$1.4K
Austin, TX
$1.3K 4.7% $65
Groceries & Markets
Auburn, WA
$375
Austin, TX
$406 8.2% $31
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Auburn, WA
$336
Austin, TX
$352 4.7% $16
Eating Out
Auburn, WA
$301
Austin, TX
$350 16.1% $49
Clothing & Footwear
Auburn, WA
$118
Austin, TX
$129 9.2% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Auburn, WA
$64
Austin, TX
$86 34.9% $22
Getting Around
Auburn, WA
$13 *
Austin, TX
$58 354% $45

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,470 in Auburn, WA versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 30% higher in Auburn, WA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Auburn, WA versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries tell a different story – $375 in Auburn, WA vs $406 in Austin, TX – so Auburn, WA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Auburn, WA
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
14:18 2:18 PM
16:18 4:18 PM
2 h ahead of Auburn, WA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
76,143
974,447
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Auburn, WA Austin, TX 2,820 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Auburn, 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
Auburn, WA vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Auburn, WA or Austin, TX?
Austin, TX costs about 4% more than Auburn, WA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Auburn, WA and in Austin, TX?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,884 per month in Auburn, WA and $4,046 in Austin, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Auburn, WA or Austin, TX?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Auburn, WA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Auburn, WA compared to Austin, TX?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,589 in Auburn, WA and $2,698 in Austin, TX. That's a gap of about 4%.
How do childcare costs compare in Auburn, WA and in Austin, TX?
Kindergarten costs $1,077 per month in Auburn, WA and $1,511 in Austin, TX. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Auburn, WA or in Austin, TX?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Auburn, WA, where all-in costs run around $2,589, than in Austin, TX at $2,698. In Auburn, WA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Austin, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Auburn, WA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Auburn, WA compared to Austin, TX?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Auburn, WA or to Austin, TX?
If budget matters most, go with Auburn, WA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Austin, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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