Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,010 in Bellingham, WA, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
145

Cost of Living Index in Bellingham, WA
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Bellingham, WA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Bellingham, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,010

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $3,010 in Bellingham, WA.

Austin, TX $2,607
Bellingham, WA $3,010

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,448 in Bellingham, WA.

Austin, TX $4,031
Bellingham, WA $4,448

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,886 in Bellingham, WA.

Austin, TX $5,454
Bellingham, WA $5,886

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 13% less than in Bellingham, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Bellingham, WA 121% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$24.70 $24.70

-17.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$101 $101

-16.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$13.26 $13.26

-8.60%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.94 $5.94

-4.88%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$3.16 $3.16

16.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.19 $2.19

7.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.87 $6.87

14.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.90 $6.90

27.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.13 $1.13

0.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.82 $3.82

-3.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.91 $4.91

-32.59%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.96 $4.96

-16.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$18.80 $18.80

-30.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$18.61 $18.61

-25.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$23.00 $23.00

-28.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.14 $5.14

-8.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.89 $1.89

-23.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$5.32 $5.32

-3.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$6.32 $6.32

-28.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.61 $3.61

-14.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.16 $3.16

-24.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.55 $2.55

-29.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.47 $2.47

-10.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$12.44 $12.44

-19.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.95 $14.95

0.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.76 $1.76

65.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$5.74 $5.74

-41.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.99 $1.99

-38.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$30.51 $30.51

32.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.68 $2.68

3.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.70 $1.70

-2.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$30.27 $30.27

16.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.44 $1.44

-34.03%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.5K $27.5K

24.31%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.7K $25.7K

4.06%

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

$223 $223

$217 $217

2.71%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$57.4 $57.4

1.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$81.3 $81.3

-12.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$62.0 $62.0

-14.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$14.82 $14.82

13.02%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$18.31 $18.31

-23.21%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,125 $1,125

29.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$31.7K $31.7K

-32.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$80.5 $80.5

-34.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$28.32 $28.32

50.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$109 $109

-20.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$149 $149

-30.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,707 $1,707

23.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,458 $1,458

-15.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,598 $2,598

48.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,347 $2,347

2.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$4,441 $4,441

67.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$3,925 $3,925

-22.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,391 $4,391

17.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.68

2.10%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bellingham, WA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Bellingham, WA

$1.5K 48.4% 18.5% $227

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Bellingham, WA

$505 16.8% 23.2% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Bellingham, WA

$356 11.8% 0.9% $3.1

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Bellingham, WA

$378 12.6% 8.6% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Bellingham, WA

$165 5.5% 28.6% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Bellingham, WA

$99 3.3% 21.6% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Bellingham, WA

$50 1.7% 12% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,707 in Bellingham, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 18% 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 $101 in Bellingham, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $505 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Bellingham, WA

🕒 Local time

09:06 9:06 AM

07:06 7:06 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

91,482

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Bellingham, WA 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Bellingham, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 18% 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,707 in Bellingham, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $3,010 in Bellingham, WA – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bellingham, WA runs roughly 25% 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. 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.