Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ellensburg, WA: $2,404 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Ellensburg, WA
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Ellensburg, WA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Ellensburg, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,404

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,404 in Ellensburg, WA.

Austin, TX $2,607
Ellensburg, WA $2,404

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,555 in Ellensburg, WA.

Austin, TX $4,031
Ellensburg, WA $3,555

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,705 in Ellensburg, WA.

Austin, TX $5,454
Ellensburg, WA $4,705

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 8% more expensive than in Ellensburg, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Ellensburg, WA 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$15.25 $15.25

33.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$75.2 $75.2

12.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$12.13 $12.13

-0.08%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.04 $5.04

12.10%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$1.54 $1.54

138.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.26 $1.26

87.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$4.87 $4.87

61.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.09 $6.09

44.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.98 $0.98

16.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.79 $2.79

32.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.71 $4.71

-29.72%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.23 $4.23

-1.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$15.48 $15.48

-16.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$6.66 $6.66

108.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$13.53 $13.53

20.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.60 $4.60

1.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.43 $1.43

1.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.27 $4.27

19.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.96 $3.96

14.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.51 $1.51

103.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.22 $2.22

7.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.96 $1.96

-8.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.91 $1.91

16.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.89 $9.89

0.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$13.99 $13.99

7.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.86 $1.86

56.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$4.90 $4.90

-32.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.05 $2.05

-40.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$57.6 $57.6

-29.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$5.09 $5.09

-45.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.76 $1.76

-6.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$39.42 $39.42

-10.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.04 $1.04

-8.65%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.6K $27.6K

24.02%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.3K $27.3K

-1.92%

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

$223 $223

$149 $149

49.48%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$39.60 $39.60

47.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$71.3 $71.3

-0.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$40.90 $40.90

29.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$15.93 $15.93

-11.74%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,356 $1,356

7.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$21.6K $21.6K

-1.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$34.48 $34.48

52.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$34.61 $34.61

23.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$109 $109

-20.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$40.10 $40.10

158.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,614 $1,614

30.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,277 $1,277

-3.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,509 $2,509

53.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,172 $2,172

10.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$4,531 $4,531

63.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$4,418 $4,418

-30.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$1,785 $1,785

190.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.5

4.92%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ellensburg, WA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Ellensburg, WA

$1.3K 53.1% 3.8% $47

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Ellensburg, WA

$349 14.5% 14.8% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Ellensburg, WA

$260 10.8% 26.2% $93

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Ellensburg, WA

$267 11.1% 23.4% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Ellensburg, WA

$98 4.1% 23.5% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Ellensburg, WA

$73 3% 10.3% $8.4

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Ellensburg, WA

$80 3.3% 41.1% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,614 in Ellensburg, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays about 2.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $75 in Ellensburg, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $349 per month, with Ellensburg, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Ellensburg, WA

🕒 Local time

17:28 5:28 PM

15:28 3:28 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

18,666

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Austin, TX Ellensburg, WA 2,700 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Ellensburg, WA

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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 Ellensburg, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ellensburg, WA wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ellensburg, WA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Austin, TX is about 2.9 times higher, 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 $1,614 in Ellensburg, 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 $2,404 in Ellensburg, WA – Ellensburg, WA is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 30% less than in Ellensburg, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Ellensburg, 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 – Ellensburg, 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.