Last update: Oct 2026

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

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

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Auburn, WA
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Auburn, WA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Auburn, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$19.69 $19.69

4.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$96.2 $96.2

-12.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.71 $11.71

3.07%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.46 $4.46

22.87%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.05 $2.05

85.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.01 $2.01

22.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.93 $4.93

63.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.18 $7.18

23.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.89 $0.89

24.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.56 $2.56

45.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.75 $3.75

-10.13%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.04 $3.04

42.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$8.58 $8.58

53.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$13.75 $13.75

2.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$18.56 $18.56

-12.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.75 $4.75

-4.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.80 $1.80

-18.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.81 $3.81

23.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.11 $3.11

-17.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.26 $3.26

-27.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.83 $1.83

-3.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.11 $2.11

1.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$10.79 $10.79

-6.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.03 $15.03

1.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.70 $1.70

65.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.92 $2.92

17.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.54 $3.54

-20.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.84 $1.84

-13.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$50.2 $50.2

-31.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.30 $1.30

-27.69%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$25.6K $25.6K

32.71%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$24.5K $24.5K

9.16%

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

$223 $223

$216 $216

2.85%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$40.51 $40.51

45.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$79.5 $79.5

-11.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$34.39 $34.39

67.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$14.77 $14.77

-3.45%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,077 $1,077

40.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$16.8K $16.8K

24.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$55.7 $55.7

-7.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$46.82 $46.82

-5.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$78.9 $78.9

10.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$81.3 $81.3

28.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,470 $1,470

31.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,381 $1,381

-4.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,298 $2,298

59.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,844 $2,844

-9.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$6,864 $6,864

-22.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.59

3.03%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Auburn, WA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Auburn, WA

$1.4K 53.4% 5% $65

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Auburn, WA

$375 14.5% 7.6% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Auburn, WA

$336 13% 4.5% $16

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Auburn, WA

$301 11.6% 13.9% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Auburn, WA

$118 4.6% 8.4% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Auburn, WA

$64 2.5% 25.9% $22

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Auburn, WA

$13 * 0.5% 78% $45

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,470 in Auburn, WA. 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 $85.0 in Austin, TX versus $96.0 in Auburn, WA. Groceries tell a different story – $406 in Austin, TX vs $375 in Auburn, WA – so Auburn, WA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Auburn, WA

🕒 Local time

16:59 4:59 PM

14:59 2:59 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

76,143

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Auburn, WA 2,820 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,046 per month in Austin, TX and $3,884 in Auburn, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,698 in Austin, TX and $2,589 in Auburn, WA. That's a gap of about 4%.

Kindergarten costs $1,511 per month in Austin, TX and $1,077 in Auburn, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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.

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.

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.

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.