Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Mount Vernon, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,834 in Mount Vernon, WA, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mount Vernon, WA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
136

Cost of Living Index in Mount Vernon, WA
Learn more

Mount Vernon, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Mount Vernon, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,834

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,834 in Mount Vernon, WA.

Austin, TX $2,607
Mount Vernon, WA $2,834

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,004 in Mount Vernon, WA.

Austin, TX $4,031
Mount Vernon, WA $4,004

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,173 in Mount Vernon, WA.

Austin, TX $5,454
Mount Vernon, WA $5,173

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 8% less than in Mount Vernon, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Mount Vernon, WA 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$22.25 $22.25

-8.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$60.3 $60.3

40.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$12.86 $12.86

-5.75%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.96 $5.96

-5.20%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.19 $2.19

68.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.70 $1.70

38.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$7.19 $7.19

9.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$9.37 $9.37

-5.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.06 $1.06

7.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.24 $4.24

-12.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.76 $2.76

19.93%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.40 $5.40

-23.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$11.21 $11.21

15.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$6.60 $6.60

110.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$8.19 $8.19

99.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.60 $5.60

-16.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.43 $2.43

-40.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$5.33 $5.33

-4.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.50 $4.50

0.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.92 $4.92

-37.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.92 $1.92

23.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.03 $2.03

-11.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.97 $1.97

12.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$5.92 $5.92

68.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$19.87 $19.87

-24.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.17 $2.17

34.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.52 $2.52

32.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$30.54 $30.54

32.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

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

$27.8K $27.8K

22.81%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$19.2K $19.2K

39.45%

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

$223 $223

$157 $157

42.32%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$44.44 $44.44

31.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$65.4 $65.4

8.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$71.0 $71.0

-25.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$13.64 $13.64

3.08%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,915 $1,915

-23.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$48.4K $48.4K

-55.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$39.55 $39.55

32.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$30.18 $30.18

41.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$78.4 $78.4

10.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$80.0 $80.0

29.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,489 $1,489

41.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,609 $1,609

-23.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,545 $2,545

51.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,514 $2,514

-4.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$3,964 $3,964

87.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$4,064 $4,064

-24.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,803 $3,803

36.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.42

6.23%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mount Vernon, 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%

Mount Vernon, WA

$1.6K 56.8% 30.7% $378

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Mount Vernon, WA

$369 13% 9.9% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Mount Vernon, WA

$267 9.4% 24.4% $86

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Mount Vernon, WA

$358 12.6% 2.9% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Mount Vernon, WA

$103 3.6% 20.1% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Mount Vernon, WA

$98 3.5% 21.1% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Mount Vernon, WA

$31 * 1.1% 45.9% $26

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 $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,489 in Mount Vernon, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 36% 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 $60 in Mount Vernon, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $369 per month, with Mount Vernon, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Mount Vernon, WA

🕒 Local time

14:59 2:59 PM

12:59 12:59 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

73,893

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Mount Vernon, WA 2,900 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

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

Average pay runs 36% 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,489 in Mount Vernon, 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 $2,834 in Mount Vernon, WA – Austin, TX is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Mount Vernon, WA runs roughly 25% less than in Austin, TX. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch 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.