Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,284 in Lakewood, WA, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
158

Cost of Living Index in Lakewood, WA
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Lakewood, WA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Lakewood, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,284

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $3,284 in Lakewood, WA.

Austin, TX $2,698
Lakewood, WA $3,284

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $4,777 in Lakewood, WA.

Austin, TX $4,160
Lakewood, WA $4,777

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $6,270 in Lakewood, WA.

Austin, TX $5,622
Lakewood, WA $6,270

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 18% less than in Lakewood, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Lakewood, WA 142% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$18.09 $18.09

14.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$67.6 $67.6

25.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$12.71 $12.71

-5.04%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.20 $5.20

5.38%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.98 $2.98

27.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.05 $2.05

20.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.90 $3.90

106.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$6.10 $6.10

45.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.02 $1.02

8.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.68 $3.68

1.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.24 $4.24

-20.52%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.92 $3.92

10.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$13.72 $13.72

-4.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$8.69 $8.69

62.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$11.21 $11.21

45.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.38 $4.38

3.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.94 $1.94

-24.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.16 $4.16

13.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.52 $4.52

-8.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.97 $1.97

30.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.15 $2.15

9.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.02 $2.02

-12.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.49 $2.49

-14.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$12.36 $12.36

-18.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.84 $15.84

-4.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.98 $1.98

42.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$4.15 $4.15

-17.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.04 $2.04

-24.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$197 $197

-79.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.02 $2.02

38.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.64 $0.64

150.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$27.31 $27.31

25.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.34 $1.34

-29.85%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$28.1K $28.1K

20.94%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.75%

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

$223 $223

$289 $289

-22.89%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$74.0 $74.0

-20.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$89.5 $89.5

-21.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$41.00 $41.00

40.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$24.97 $24.97

-33.80%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$18.08 $18.08

-21.13%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,965 $1,965

-23.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$25.7K $25.7K

-18.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$50.1 $50.1

2.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$38.11 $38.11

15.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$100 $100

-13.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$136 $136

-23.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,961 $1,961

-1.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,733 $1,733

-24.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$3,365 $3,365

8.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$3,047 $3,047

-15.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,359 $2,359

211.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,606 $2,606

20.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

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 Lakewood, 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%

Lakewood, WA

$1.7K 52.8% 31.7% $417

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Lakewood, WA

$369 11.2% 9.2% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Lakewood, WA

$452 13.8% 28.4% $100

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Lakewood, WA

$297 9.1% 15.1% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Lakewood, WA

$146 4.5% 13.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Lakewood, WA

$77 2.4% 10.5% $9.1

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Lakewood, WA

$210 6.4% 263% $152

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,961 in Lakewood, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $68.0 in Lakewood, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $369 per month, with Lakewood, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Lakewood, WA

🕒 Local time

03:11 3:11 AM

01:11 1:11 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

140,024

💱 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 Lakewood, WA 2,830 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Lakewood, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $4,926 in Lakewood, WA to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,961 in Lakewood, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $3,284 in Lakewood, WA – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 380% less than in Lakewood, WA. 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Lakewood, WA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Lakewood, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.