Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,182 in Richland, WA, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Richland, WA
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Richland, WA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Richland, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,182

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $3,182 in Richland, WA.

Austin, TX $2,698
Richland, WA $3,182

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $4,400 in Richland, WA.

Austin, TX $4,160
Richland, WA $4,400

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $5,618 in Richland, WA.

Austin, TX $5,622
Richland, WA $5,618

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 15% less than in Richland, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Richland, WA 135% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$19.68 $19.68

4.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$89.7 $89.7

-5.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$13.05 $13.05

-7.51%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.86 $5.86

-6.48%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.43 $2.43

56.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.01 $2.01

22.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.89 $7.89

2.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.79 $7.79

13.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.02 $1.02

8.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.84 $4.84

-23.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.93 $4.93

-31.64%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.94 $4.94

-12.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$18.70 $18.70

-29.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$19.34 $19.34

-26.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$28.51 $28.51

-42.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$6.59 $6.59

-30.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.04 $2.04

-28.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$5.99 $5.99

-21.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$8.89 $8.89

-53.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.91 $2.91

-11.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.26 $2.26

3.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$3.15 $3.15

-43.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.51 $2.51

-14.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.54 $11.54

-12.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.16 $15.16

0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.77 $1.77

59.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$5.19 $5.19

-33.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$4.99 $4.99

-43.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.93 $1.93

-17.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$24.15 $24.15

42.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.24 $1.24

-24.19%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$28.2K $28.2K

20.52%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.80%

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

$223 $223

$315 $315

-29.32%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$42.57 $42.57

38.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$67.3 $67.3

4.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$73.6 $73.6

-21.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$30.11 $30.11

-45.10%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$13.65 $13.65

4.47%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,450 $1,450

4.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$24.2K $24.2K

-13.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$60.4 $60.4

-15.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$29.96 $29.96

47.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$101 $101

-14.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$132 $132

-20.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,871 $1,871

3.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,601 $1,601

-17.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,782 $1,782

105.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,145 $2,145

19.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,973 $2,973

147.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,685 $2,685

16.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$4,593 $4,593

15.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.57

3.35%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Richland, WA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Richland, WA

$1.6K 50.3% 21.7% $285

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Richland, WA

$555 17.5% 36.8% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Richland, WA

$425 13.4% 20.7% $73

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Richland, WA

$340 10.7% 3% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Richland, WA

$146 4.6% 12.8% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Richland, WA

$101 3.2% 17% $15

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Richland, WA

$15 * 0.5% 74.7% $43

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 $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,871 in Richland, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 15% 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 $90.0 in Richland, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $555 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Richland, WA

🕒 Local time

07:42 7:42 AM

05:42 5:42 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

60,560

💱 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 Richland, WA 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Richland, 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 15% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,871 in Richland, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,450 in Richland, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $90.0 in Richland, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Richland, WA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Richland, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.