Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Pullman, WA: $2,297 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Pullman, WA
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Pullman, WA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Pullman, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,297

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $2,297 in Pullman, WA.

Austin, TX $2,689
Pullman, WA $2,297

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $3,370 in Pullman, WA.

Austin, TX $4,112
Pullman, WA $3,370

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $4,443 in Pullman, WA.

Austin, TX $5,534
Pullman, WA $4,443

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 17% more expensive than in Pullman, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Pullman, WA 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$16.78 $16.78

27.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$64.8 $64.8

35.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$8.62 $8.62

44.32%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$4.64 $4.64

20.69%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$2.14 $2.14

70.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.81 $1.81

32.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$5.61 $5.61

39.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$5.65 $5.65

54.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.01 $1.01

10.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.64 $3.64

-0.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.78 $3.78

-7.41%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$5.40 $5.40

-17.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$21.22 $21.22

-37.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$14.09 $14.09

-1.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$23.43 $23.43

-29.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$5.04 $5.04

-6.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$2.20 $2.20

-31.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$3.42 $3.42

35.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$8.65 $8.65

-47.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.57 $2.57

-0.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$3.08 $3.08

-22.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$3.51 $3.51

-47.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.82 $2.82

-24.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$8.34 $8.34

20.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$13.56 $13.56

9.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.70 $1.70

65.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$8.93 $8.93

-63.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$0.99 $0.99

24.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$30.23 $30.23

37.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.91 $3.91

-31.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$3.83 $3.83

-57.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$49.74 $49.74

-29.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.02 $1.02

-3.92%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$19.9K $19.9K

72.38%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$19.6K $19.6K

36.61%

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

$252 $252

$105 $105

141.23%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$85.6 $85.6

-30.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$52.1 $52.1

33.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$30.33 $30.33

99.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

$9.81 $9.81

84.91%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$14.80 $14.80

-7.09%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$1,223 $1,223

19.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$21.4K $21.4K

24.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

0.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$22.51 $22.51

103.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$99.1 $99.1

-13.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$159 $159

-33.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$1,204 $1,204

82.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$1,018 $1,018

24.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$1,982 $1,982

101.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$1,511 $1,511

59.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$2,245 $2,245

228.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$2,159 $2,159

37.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$5,600 $5,600

-9.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.54

4.28%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Pullman, WA: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Pullman, WA

$1K 44.3% 19.7% $250

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Pullman, WA

$498 21.7% 22.3% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Pullman, WA

$242 10.6% 36.5% $139

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Pullman, WA

$271 11.8% 23.9% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Pullman, WA

$150 6.5% 15.1% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Pullman, WA

$60 2.6% 31.8% $28

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Pullman, WA

$57 2.5% 0.1% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Austin, TX and $1,204 in Pullman, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pullman, WA pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $65 in Pullman, WA. Groceries flip the comparison at $407 vs $498, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Pullman, WA

🕒 Local time

16:54 4:54 PM

14:54 2:54 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

32,901

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Pullman, WA 2,480 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Pullman, WA wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Pullman, WA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 10% 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: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $1,204 in Pullman, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,689 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,297 in Pullman, WA – Pullman, WA is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Pullman, WA runs roughly 27% less than in Austin, TX. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Pullman, WA gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.