Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Chelan, WA: $2,698 and $2,685 a month, rent and utilities included.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Chelan, WA
Learn more

Chelan, WA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Chelan, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,685 in Chelan, WA.

Austin, TX $2,698
Chelan, WA $2,685

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,965 in Chelan, WA.

Austin, TX $4,160
Chelan, WA $3,965

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $5,245 in Chelan, WA.

Austin, TX $5,622
Chelan, WA $5,245

Monthly costs are close between Austin, TX and Chelan, WA; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Chelan, WA 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$25.39 $25.39

-18.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$101 $101

-16.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$14.72 $14.72

-18.00%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$6.52 $6.52

-15.95%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$3.21 $3.21

18.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$3.00 $3.00

-17.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.99 $7.99

0.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.84 $7.84

13.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.08 $1.08

2.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.37 $3.37

10.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.43 $4.43

-23.93%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.95 $4.95

-12.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$10.92 $10.92

20.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$6.57 $6.57

115.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$11.16 $11.16

46.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.27 $4.27

6.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.86 $1.86

-21.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.33 $4.33

8.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.33 $4.33

-4.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.16 $2.16

19.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.26 $2.26

3.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.97 $1.97

-10.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.51 $2.51

-14.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$9.25 $9.25

9.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$10.07 $10.07

50.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$4.27 $4.27

-33.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$5.10 $5.10

-32.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.06 $2.06

-25.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$60.2 $60.2

-31.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.66 $2.66

5.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.64 $1.64

-2.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$30.33 $30.33

13.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.37 $1.37

-31.39%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$34.5K $34.5K

-1.48%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.45%

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

$223 $223

$254 $254

-12.36%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$70.6 $70.6

-16.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$50.4 $50.4

40.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$46.44 $46.44

24.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$9.92 $9.92

66.63%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$12.22 $12.22

16.69%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$3,059 $3,059

-50.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$31.3K $31.3K

-33.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$40.62 $40.62

26.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$25.47 $25.47

73.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$60.0 $60.0

44.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$99.6 $99.6

4.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,568 $1,568

23.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,299 $1,299

1.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,478 $2,478

47.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,141 $2,141

19.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,972 $2,972

147.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,492 $2,492

25.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$4,061 $4,061

30.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

13.17%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chelan, 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%

Chelan, WA

$1.3K 48.4% 1.3% $17

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Chelan, WA

$353 13.2% 13% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Chelan, WA

$375 14% 6.5% $23

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Chelan, WA

$406 15.1% 16% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Chelan, WA

$102 3.8% 21.3% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Chelan, WA

$71 2.6% 17.8% $15

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Chelan, WA

$79 3% 36.9% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,568 in Chelan, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 30% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $101 in Chelan, WA. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $353, with Chelan, WA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Chelan, WA

🕒 Local time

18:07 6:07 PM

16:07 4:07 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

4,200

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Chelan, WA 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Average pay runs 30% 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 $1,568 in Chelan, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $3,059 in Chelan, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85 versus $101 in Chelan, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Chelan, 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.

It comes down to priorities – Chelan, WA wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.