Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Anacortes, WA: $2,607 and $2,527 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Anacortes, WA
Learn more

Anacortes, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Anacortes, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,527

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,527 in Anacortes, WA.

Austin, TX $2,607
Anacortes, WA $2,527

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,761 in Anacortes, WA.

Austin, TX $4,031
Anacortes, WA $3,761

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,995 in Anacortes, WA.

Austin, TX $5,454
Anacortes, WA $4,995

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 3% more expensive than in Anacortes, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Anacortes, WA 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$17.81 $17.81

14.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$84.6 $84.6

0.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$13.55 $13.55

-10.55%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.04 $5.04

12.10%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.29 $2.29

60.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.03 $2.03

16.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.46 $5.46

44.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.14 $6.14

43.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.09 $1.09

4.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.93 $4.93

-25.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.75 $1.75

89.14%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.09 $4.09

1.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$11.24 $11.24

15.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$14.52 $14.52

-4.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$23.03 $23.03

-29.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$6.04 $6.04

-22.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.86 $1.86

-22.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.19 $3.19

60.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.54 $5.54

-18.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.38 $1.38

123.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.17 $3.17

-24.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.53 $1.53

17.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.33 $2.33

-4.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$12.51 $12.51

-20.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.24 $14.24

5.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.89 $2.89

0.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$4.22 $4.22

-21.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$5.19 $5.19

-76.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$21.95 $21.95

84.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.59 $2.59

7.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.67 $1.67

-1.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$30.26 $30.26

16.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.30 $1.30

-26.92%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$36.6K $36.6K

-6.66%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.2K $26.2K

2.13%

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

$223 $223

$167 $167

33.24%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$52.0 $52.0

12.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$75.8 $75.8

-6.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$50.2 $50.2

5.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$16.98 $16.98

-17.20%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$2,161 $2,161

-32.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$30.9K $30.9K

-30.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$55.1 $55.1

-4.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$26.96 $26.96

58.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$95.2 $95.2

-9.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$165 $165

-37.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,760 $1,760

19.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,203 $1,203

2.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,958 $2,958

30.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,982 $1,982

21.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,625 $2,625

182.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,417 $2,417

26.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$7,130 $7,130

-27.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

5.67

20.28%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Anacortes, WA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Anacortes, WA

$1.2K 47.6% 2.2% $28

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Anacortes, WA

$437 17.3% 6.6% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Anacortes, WA

$295 11.7% 16.3% $57

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Anacortes, WA

$301 11.9% 13.7% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Anacortes, WA

$154 6.1% 20% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Anacortes, WA

$84 3.3% 3.7% $3

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Anacortes, WA

$54 2.1% 5% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,760 in Anacortes, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Anacortes, WA pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $85 in Anacortes, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $437 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Anacortes, WA

🕒 Local time

09:06 9:06 AM

07:06 7:06 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

17,637

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Anacortes, WA 2,920 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Anacortes, WA wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Anacortes, WA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 27% 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,760 in Anacortes, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $2,161 in Anacortes, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Anacortes, WA runs roughly 46% less than in Austin, 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. Anacortes, 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.