Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Oak Harbor, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,321 in Oak Harbor, WA, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 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
159

Cost of Living Index in Oak Harbor, WA
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Oak Harbor, WA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Oak Harbor, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,321

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $3,321 in Oak Harbor, WA.

Austin, TX $2,607
Oak Harbor, WA $3,321

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,592 in Oak Harbor, WA.

Austin, TX $4,031
Oak Harbor, WA $4,592

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,863 in Oak Harbor, WA.

Austin, TX $5,454
Oak Harbor, WA $5,863

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 21% less than in Oak Harbor, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Oak Harbor, WA 144% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$17.65 $17.65

15.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$71.2 $71.2

19.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$18.51 $18.51

-34.52%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.35 $5.35

5.61%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.33 $2.33

57.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.53 $1.53

54.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$7.80 $7.80

0.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.60 $7.60

16.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.63 $1.63

-30.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.45 $4.45

-17.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$6.86 $6.86

-51.75%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.64 $5.64

-26.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$19.88 $19.88

-34.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$12.82 $12.82

8.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$24.85 $24.85

-34.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$8.19 $8.19

-42.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.33 $1.33

9.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$6.93 $6.93

-26.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$6.78 $6.78

-33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.21 $4.21

-26.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$4.62 $4.62

-48.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.61 $2.61

-31.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.17 $2.17

2.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.86 $9.86

1.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.21 $14.21

5.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.72 $2.72

6.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$4.03 $4.03

-17.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.03 $2.03

-39.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$59.2 $59.2

-31.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.27 $3.27

-14.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.90 $1.90

-13.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$27.38 $27.38

29.25%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

24.53%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.42%

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

$223 $223

$391 $391

-42.98%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$61.4 $61.4

-4.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$97.5 $97.5

-27.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$34.29 $34.29

54.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$14.86 $14.86

-5.38%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,347 $1,347

8.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$23.7K $23.7K

-9.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$58.8 $58.8

-10.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$37.05 $37.05

15.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$131 $131

-33.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$196 $196

-47.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$2,300 $2,300

-8.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,578 $1,578

-22.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$3,235 $3,235

19.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,299 $2,299

4.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$4,057 $4,057

83.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$4,130 $4,130

-25.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,305 $3,305

56.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

-2.57%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Oak Harbor, 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%

Oak Harbor, WA

$1.6K 47.5% 28.2% $347

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Oak Harbor, WA

$528 15.9% 28.9% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Oak Harbor, WA

$550 16.6% 56% $197

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Oak Harbor, WA

$331 10% 5% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Oak Harbor, WA

$190 5.7% 48% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Oak Harbor, WA

$64 1.9% 21.1% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Oak Harbor, WA

$80 2.4% 41.8% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $2,300 in Oak Harbor, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 57% 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 $71 in Oak Harbor, WA. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $528, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Oak Harbor, WA

🕒 Local time

07:32 7:32 AM

05:32 5:32 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

24,622

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Oak Harbor, WA 2,910 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Oak Harbor, 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 57% 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 $2,300 in Oak Harbor, 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 $3,321 in Oak Harbor, WA – Austin, TX is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 32% less than in Oak Harbor, WA. 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.