Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Airway Heights, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Airway Heights, WA: $2,531 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Airway Heights, WA
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Airway Heights, WA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Airway Heights, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,531

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Airway Heights, WA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Airway Heights, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,531 in Airway Heights, WA.

Austin, TX $2,698
Airway Heights, WA $2,531

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,742 in Airway Heights, WA.

Austin, TX $4,160
Airway Heights, WA $3,742

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,953 in Airway Heights, WA.

Austin, TX $5,622
Airway Heights, WA $4,953

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 7% more expensive than in Airway Heights, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Airway Heights, WA 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$17.26 $17.26

19.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$76.2 $76.2

10.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$9.78 $9.78

23.42%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.26 $4.26

28.64%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.34 $2.34

62.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.24 $2.24

10.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.84 $5.84

37.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$6.07 $6.07

46.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.95 $0.95

16.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.30 $3.30

12.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.84 $4.84

-30.37%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.42 $4.42

-2.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$15.81 $15.81

-16.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$10.02 $10.02

41.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$16.69 $16.69

-2.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.99 $4.99

-8.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.47 $1.47

-0.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$5.37 $5.37

-12.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.05 $4.05

2.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.34 $2.34

10.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.82 $2.82

-16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.95 $1.95

-9.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.87 $1.87

14.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$10.30 $10.30

-1.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$13.93 $13.93

9.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.79 $1.79

57.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$4.37 $4.37

-21.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.98 $1.98

-22.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$58.8 $58.8

-30.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$5.12 $5.12

-45.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.69 $1.69

-5.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$39.84 $39.84

-13.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.36 $1.36

-30.88%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.8K $27.8K

22.30%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$24.5K $24.5K

9.40%

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

$223 $223

$136 $136

63.45%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$51.7 $51.7

13.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$70.1 $70.1

0.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$40.39 $40.39

42.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$13.48 $13.48

5.79%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,374 $1,374

9.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$14.2K $14.2K

46.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$52.8 $52.8

-2.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$43.46 $43.46

1.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$105 $105

-17.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$145 $145

-28.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,589 $1,589

22.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,300 $1,300

1.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,462 $2,462

48.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,156 $2,156

18.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,888 $2,888

154.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,183 $2,183

43.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$4,269 $4,269

23.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.84

-0.73%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Airway Heights, WA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Airway Heights, WA

$1.3K 51.4% 1.2% $16

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Airway Heights, WA

$391 15.5% 3.6% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Airway Heights, WA

$258 10.2% 26.7% $94

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Airway Heights, WA

$278 11% 20.5% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Airway Heights, WA

$156 6.2% 20.8% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Airway Heights, WA

$67 2.7% 21.9% $19

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Airway Heights, WA

$80 3.2% 38.6% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,589 in Airway Heights, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 24% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $76 in Airway Heights, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $391 per month, with Airway Heights, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Airway Heights, WA

🕒 Local time

19:14 7:14 PM

17:14 5:14 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

10,757

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Airway Heights, WA 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Airway Heights, WA

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

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

Airway Heights, WA wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Airway Heights, WA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 24% higher in Austin, TX, 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,589 in Airway Heights, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,374 in Airway Heights, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Airway Heights, WA 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.

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