Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Buckley, WA: $2,432 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
118

Cost of Living Index in Buckley, WA
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Buckley, WA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Buckley, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,432

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,432 in Buckley, WA.

Austin, TX $2,698
Buckley, WA $2,432

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,581 in Buckley, WA.

Austin, TX $4,160
Buckley, WA $3,581

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,730 in Buckley, WA.

Austin, TX $5,622
Buckley, WA $4,730

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 11% more expensive than in Buckley, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Buckley, WA 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$25.29 $25.29

-18.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$65.7 $65.7

28.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$12.37 $12.37

-2.43%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$6.27 $6.27

-12.60%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.93 $2.93

29.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.68 $1.68

47.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.11 $7.11

13.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.06 $7.06

25.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.75 $0.75

48.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.21 $2.21

68.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.23 $3.23

4.33%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.01 $4.01

7.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$13.29 $13.29

-1.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$8.86 $8.86

59.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$13.37 $13.37

22.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.25 $3.25

40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.58 $1.58

-7.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.90 $2.90

62.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.24 $3.24

28.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.74 $2.74

-5.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.44 $2.44

-3.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.35 $2.35

-24.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.63 $2.63

-18.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$10.06 $10.06

0.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$7.03 $7.03

116.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.49 $2.49

13.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.33 $2.33

47.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.89 $1.89

-18.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$5.08 $5.08

-44.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.22 $1.22

31.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$24.78 $24.78

38.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.31 $1.31

-28.24%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$28.1K $28.1K

21.02%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.57%

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

$223 $223

$159 $159

40.41%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$69.9 $69.9

-15.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$40.10 $40.10

76.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$40.32 $40.32

43.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$12.14 $12.14

17.46%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,428 $1,428

5.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$23.6K $23.6K

-11.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$27.07 $27.07

89.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$56.1 $56.1

-21.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$41.32 $41.32

110.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$65.5 $65.5

59.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,571 $1,571

23.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,290 $1,290

2.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,461 $2,461

48.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,186 $2,186

17.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,699 $2,699

172.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,412 $2,412

29.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$2,544 $2,544

107.81%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Buckley, WA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Buckley, WA

$1.3K 53.1% 2% $26

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Buckley, WA

$322 13.2% 20.8% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Buckley, WA

$269 11% 23.7% $84

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Buckley, WA

$383 15.7% 9.3% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Buckley, WA

$85 3.5% 33.8% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Buckley, WA

$65 2.7% 25.1% $22

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Buckley, WA

$19 * 0.8% 67.6% $39

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 $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,571 in Buckley, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 108% 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 $66.0 in Buckley, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $322 per month, with Buckley, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Buckley, WA

🕒 Local time

09:24 9:24 AM

07:24 7:24 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

5,000

💱 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 Buckley, WA 2,800 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Buckley, WA wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Buckley, WA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 108% 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 $1,571 in Buckley, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,428 in Buckley, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Buckley, WA – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Buckley, 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.

Expats usually find Buckley, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.