Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $2,823 in Vancouver, WA, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vancouver, WA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver, WA
Learn more

Vancouver, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Vancouver, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,823

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,823 in Vancouver, WA.

Austin, TX $2,663
Vancouver, WA $2,823

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,997 in Vancouver, WA.

Austin, TX $4,133
Vancouver, WA $3,997

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $5,171 in Vancouver, WA.

Austin, TX $5,603
Vancouver, WA $5,171

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 6% less than in Vancouver, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Vancouver, WA 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$22.20 $22.20

-6.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$92.9 $92.9

-8.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$13.04 $13.04

-5.52%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.85 $5.85

-3.76%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.04 $3.04

22.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.89 $1.89

32.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.51 $6.51

23.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$7.83 $7.83

15.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.07 $1.07

4.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$4.23 $4.23

-11.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.39 $4.39

-25.74%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.24 $4.24

-1.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$12.02 $12.02

7.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$10.52 $10.52

34.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$16.79 $16.79

-3.39%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.14 $4.14

4.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.41 $1.41

3.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.79 $2.79

61.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.58 $2.58

68.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.11 $2.11

22.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.78 $1.78

32.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.08 $2.08

-14.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.80 $1.80

23.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$12.14 $12.14

-18.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$11.05 $11.05

36.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.13 $2.13

37.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.54 $4.54

-23.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.53 $2.53

-41.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$91.2 $91.2

-54.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$4.45 $4.45

-38.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.76 $0.76

118.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$24.16 $24.16

46.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.45 $1.45

-34.48%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$37.0K $37.0K

-2.44%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.2K $25.2K

7.29%

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

$229 $229

$201 $201

14.12%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$72.4 $72.4

-17.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$63.2 $63.2

10.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$41.25 $41.25

38.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$25.96 $25.96

-37.10%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$15.19 $15.19

-5.99%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,387 $1,387

8.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$12.9K $12.9K

66.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$40.99 $40.99

28.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$30.02 $30.02

45.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$86.5 $86.5

-1.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$85.3 $85.3

20.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,809 $1,809

5.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,481 $1,481

-13.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,365 $2,365

54.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$2,117 $2,117

19.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$3,409 $3,409

123.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$3,378 $3,378

-6.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$4,492 $4,492

13.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.69

1.49%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Vancouver, WA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Vancouver, WA

$1.5K 52.4% 16.2% $206

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Vancouver, WA

$361 12.8% 10.7% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Vancouver, WA

$336 11.9% 6.2% $22

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Vancouver, WA

$355 12.6% 0.3% $1

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Vancouver, WA

$109 3.9% 14.6% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Vancouver, WA

$72 2.5% 16.5% $14

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Vancouver, WA

$110 3.9% 86.6% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,809 in Vancouver, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 14% 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 Vancouver, WA. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $361, with Vancouver, WA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Vancouver, WA

🕒 Local time

00:44 12:44 AM

22:44 10:44 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

190,915

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Vancouver, WA 2,750 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Vancouver, 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 14% 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 $1,809 in Vancouver, 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 $2,823 in Vancouver, WA – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 118% less than in Vancouver, 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 work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,663 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Vancouver, 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 6% less than in Vancouver, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.