Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,050 in Renton, WA, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Renton, WA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Renton, WA
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Renton, WA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Renton, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,050

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $3,050 in Renton, WA.

Austin, TX $2,663
Renton, WA $3,050

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $4,076 in Renton, WA.

Austin, TX $4,133
Renton, WA $4,076

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $5,101 in Renton, WA.

Austin, TX $5,603
Renton, WA $5,101

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 13% less than in Renton, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Renton, WA 126% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$19.81 $19.81

4.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$93.3 $93.3

-9.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$12.22 $12.22

0.82%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.72 $4.72

19.28%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.45 $2.45

51.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.14 $2.14

16.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.07 $5.07

58.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$6.97 $6.97

29.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.16 $1.16

-3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$4.11 $4.11

-8.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.58 $3.58

-8.94%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.97 $4.97

-16.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$13.01 $13.01

-0.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$6.81 $6.81

107.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$16.07 $16.07

0.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.40 $3.40

27.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.68 $1.68

-13.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.17 $2.17

107.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.43 $3.43

26.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.33 $2.33

10.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.28 $2.28

3.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.77 $1.77

0.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.16 $2.16

2.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$13.33 $13.33

-25.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$9.82 $9.82

53.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.71 $1.71

70.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.91 $2.91

18.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.51 $3.51

-57.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$75.9 $75.9

-45.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.55 $3.55

-23.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.66 $0.66

151.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$14.83 $14.83

138.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.25 $1.25

-24.00%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$18.7K $18.7K

92.77%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$22.8K $22.8K

18.87%

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

$229 $229

$198 $198

15.75%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$59.7 $59.7

-0.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$62.2 $62.2

12.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$38.64 $38.64

48.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$39.38 $39.38

-58.53%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$15.03 $15.03

-4.99%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,629 $1,629

-7.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$16.4K $16.4K

30.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$52.7 $52.7

0.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$30.41 $30.41

44.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$64.5 $64.5

31.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$78.9 $78.9

30.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,776 $1,776

7.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,814 $1,814

-29.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,952 $2,952

24.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$2,242 $2,242

13.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$4,800 $4,800

58.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$3,808 $3,808

-17.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$4,965 $4,965

3.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.59

3.03%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Renton, WA: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Renton, WA

$1.8K 59.5% 42.4% $540

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Renton, WA

$340 11.1% 16% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Renton, WA

$320 10.5% 10.7% $39

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Renton, WA

$309 10.2% 12.5% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Renton, WA

$102 3.3% 20.4% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Renton, WA

$69 2.3% 19.9% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Renton, WA

$97 3.2% 64.9% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,776 in Renton, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $93.0 in Renton, WA. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $340, with Renton, WA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Renton, WA

🕒 Local time

17:36 5:36 PM

15:36 3:36 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

106,785

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

From you

Austin, TX
Renton, WA

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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 Renton, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Renton, 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 3% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,776 in Renton, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $3,050 in Renton, WA – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 82% less than in Renton, 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.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Renton, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.