Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,170 in SeaTac, WA, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
154

Cost of Living Index in SeaTac, WA
Learn more

SeaTac, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

SeaTac, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,170

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $3,170 in SeaTac, WA.

Austin, TX $2,607
SeaTac, WA $3,170

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,514 in SeaTac, WA.

Austin, TX $4,031
SeaTac, WA $4,514

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,857 in SeaTac, WA.

Austin, TX $5,454
SeaTac, WA $5,857

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 18% less than in SeaTac, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, SeaTac, WA 133% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$25.05 $25.05

-18.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$78.9 $78.9

7.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$12.22 $12.22

-0.82%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.68 $5.68

-0.53%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$3.14 $3.14

17.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.08 $2.08

13.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$3.93 $3.93

100.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.04 $6.04

46.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.21 $4.21

-12.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.39 $3.39

-2.36%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$7.20 $7.20

-42.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$14.94 $14.94

-13.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$17.97 $17.97

-9.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.63 $5.63

-16.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.74 $1.74

-16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.18 $4.18

22.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.66 $4.66

-3.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.23 $2.23

38.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.93 $2.93

-18.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.75 $1.75

2.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.18 $3.18

-30.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$12.19 $12.19

-18.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$18.20 $18.20

-17.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.70 $1.70

71.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.04 $2.04

63.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.69 $2.69

-54.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$88.9 $88.9

-54.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.56 $2.56

8.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.70 $1.70

-2.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$29.54 $29.54

19.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.45 $1.45

-34.48%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$28.6K $28.6K

19.57%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

-1.15%

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

$223 $223

$232 $232

-3.93%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$63.6 $63.6

-8.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$84.6 $84.6

-15.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$34.33 $34.33

54.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$19.73 $19.73

-15.10%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$17.36 $17.36

-19.01%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$2,083 $2,083

-29.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$31.6K $31.6K

-32.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$48.65 $48.65

7.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$22.60 $22.60

89.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$62.7 $62.7

37.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$45.68 $45.68

127.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$2,208 $2,208

-4.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,722 $1,722

-28.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$3,873 $3,873

-0.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,683 $2,683

-10.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$4,064 $4,064

82.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$3,821 $3,821

-19.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$6,075 $6,075

-14.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.55

4.12%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for SeaTac, 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%

SeaTac, WA

$1.7K 54.3% 40% $492

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

SeaTac, WA

$449 14.2% 9.6% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

SeaTac, WA

$380 12% 7.9% $28

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

SeaTac, WA

$358 11.3% 2.8% $9.7

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

SeaTac, WA

$81 2.6% 37.1% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

SeaTac, WA

$69 2.2% 14.9% $12

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

SeaTac, WA

$111 3.5% 96.1% $54

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $2,208 in SeaTac, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

SeaTac, WA pays 17% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $79 in SeaTac, WA. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $449, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 SeaTac, WA

🕒 Local time

04:05 4:05 AM

02:05 2:05 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

31,454

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX SeaTac, WA 2,830 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in SeaTac, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 15% 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $2,208 in SeaTac, 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 $3,170 in SeaTac, WA – Austin, TX is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 54% less than in SeaTac, 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.

It comes down to priorities – Austin, TX wins on affordability, SeaTac, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.