Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Moses Lake, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Moses Lake, WA: $2,396 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 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
115

Cost of Living Index in Moses Lake, WA
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Moses Lake, WA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Moses Lake, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,396

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,396 in Moses Lake, WA.

Austin, TX $2,607
Moses Lake, WA $2,396

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,595 in Moses Lake, WA.

Austin, TX $4,031
Moses Lake, WA $3,595

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,795 in Moses Lake, WA.

Austin, TX $5,454
Moses Lake, WA $4,795

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 9% more expensive than in Moses Lake, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Moses Lake, WA 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$18.18 $18.18

11.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$79.9 $79.9

6.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$12.28 $12.28

-1.30%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.38 $4.38

29.00%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.94 $2.94

25.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.56 $2.56

-7.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$4.61 $4.61

70.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$8.16 $8.16

8.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.74 $0.74

54.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.83 $3.83

-3.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.08 $4.08

-18.87%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.50 $3.50

18.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$9.10 $9.10

42.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$11.08 $11.08

25.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$13.45 $13.45

21.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.91 $5.91

-20.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.62 $1.62

-10.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$5.36 $5.36

-4.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.62 $5.62

-19.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.49 $3.49

-11.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.25 $3.25

-26.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.91 $2.91

-38.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.17 $2.17

2.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$11.66 $11.66

-14.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.83 $14.83

1.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.79 $1.79

62.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$4.20 $4.20

-20.71%

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

$67.0 $67.0

-39.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.48 $2.48

12.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.58 $1.58

4.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$30.13 $30.13

17.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.16 $1.16

-18.10%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$31.5K $31.5K

8.46%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.51%

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

$223 $223

$154 $154

44.37%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$70.1 $70.1

-16.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$75.7 $75.7

-5.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$41.80 $41.80

26.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$11.65 $11.65

20.69%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,113 $1,113

31.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$31.1K $31.1K

-31.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$52.7 $52.7

-0.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$25.09 $25.09

70.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$46.61 $46.61

85.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$81.4 $81.4

27.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,505 $1,505

40.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,167 $1,167

5.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,244 $2,244

72.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,029 $2,029

18.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,621 $2,621

183.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,840 $2,840

7.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$9,063 $9,063

-42.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.89

-1.02%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Moses Lake, WA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Moses Lake, WA

$1.2K 48.7% 5.2% $63

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Moses Lake, WA

$390 16.3% 4.9% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Moses Lake, WA

$300 12.5% 14.9% $52

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Moses Lake, WA

$296 12.4% 14.9% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Moses Lake, WA

$93 3.9% 27.9% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Moses Lake, WA

$65 2.7% 19.8% $16

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Moses Lake, WA

$85 3.6% 51.1% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,505 in Moses Lake, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Moses Lake, WA pays 75% 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 $80 in Moses Lake, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $390 per month, with Moses Lake, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Moses Lake, WA

🕒 Local time

20:44 8:44 PM

18:44 6:44 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

25,146

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.897 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Austin, TX Moses Lake, WA 2,630 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Moses Lake, 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 Moses Lake, WA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 43% lower in Austin, TX. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,505 in Moses Lake, 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 $2,396 in Moses Lake, WA – Moses Lake, WA is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 39% less than in Moses Lake, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Moses Lake, 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.