Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
136

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

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Arlington, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,803

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$24.98 $24.98

-16.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$101 $101

-16.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$14.24 $14.24

-13.48%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.88 $5.88

-4.25%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.04 $3.04

22.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$3.03 $3.03

-17.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.16 $7.16

12.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$6.81 $6.81

32.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.03 $1.03

8.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.66 $3.66

2.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.19 $4.19

-22.20%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.94 $3.94

5.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$13.98 $13.98

-7.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$13.33 $13.33

6.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$23.00 $23.00

-29.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.30 $5.30

-18.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.90 $1.90

-23.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.21 $4.21

7.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.92 $4.92

-11.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.02 $2.02

27.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.40 $2.40

-2.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.77 $2.77

-35.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.50 $2.50

-11.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$12.72 $12.72

-22.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$14.77 $14.77

2.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.98 $1.98

47.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.39 $4.39

-21.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.62 $2.62

4.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.71 $1.71

-2.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$29.78 $29.78

18.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.36 $1.36

-30.15%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$36.1K $36.1K

-0.10%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.2K $25.2K

7.49%

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

$229 $229

$293 $293

-21.75%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$69.9 $69.9

-14.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$89.2 $89.2

-21.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$33.54 $33.54

70.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$16.84 $16.84

-15.20%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$2,983 $2,983

-49.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$30.9K $30.9K

-30.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$50.9 $50.9

3.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$54.5 $54.5

-19.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$100 $100

-15.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$135 $135

-23.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,522 $1,522

25.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,297 $1,297

-1.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,826 $2,826

29.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$2,454 $2,454

3.44%

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)

$5,121 $5,121

$5,858 $5,858

-12.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.81

-0.29%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Arlington, WA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Arlington, WA

$1.3K 46.3% 1.8% $23

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Arlington, WA

$436 15.6% 7.9% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Arlington, WA

$452 16.1% 26.1% $93

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Arlington, WA

$387 13.8% 9.3% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Arlington, WA

$153 5.5% 19.6% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Arlington, WA

$67 2.4% 21.6% $19

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Arlington, WA

$11 * 0.4% 81% $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 $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,522 in Arlington, WA. 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $101 in Arlington, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $436 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Arlington, WA

🕒 Local time

18:08 6:08 PM

16:08 4:08 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

365,438

💱 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

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

From you

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

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

On paper, salaries run 14% lower in Arlington, WA. 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,522 in Arlington, WA. 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 $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,803 in Arlington, WA – 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.