Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Yakima, WA: $2,253 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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
109

Cost of Living Index in Yakima, WA
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Yakima, WA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Yakima, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,253

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,253 in Yakima, WA.

Austin, TX $2,698
Yakima, WA $2,253

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,276 in Yakima, WA.

Austin, TX $4,160
Yakima, WA $3,276

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,299 in Yakima, WA.

Austin, TX $5,622
Yakima, WA $4,299

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 20% more expensive than in Yakima, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Yakima, WA 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$15.57 $15.57

32.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$64.1 $64.1

32.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.38 $11.38

6.06%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.54 $4.54

20.70%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.15 $2.15

76.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.63 $2.63

-6.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.78 $3.78

112.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$4.17 $4.17

112.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.99 $0.99

12.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.90 $3.90

-4.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.60 $3.60

-6.39%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.22 $3.22

34.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$11.70 $11.70

12.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$8.88 $8.88

59.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$14.80 $14.80

10.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.48 $3.48

30.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.58 $1.58

-7.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.27 $4.27

10.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.42 $3.42

21.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.28 $2.28

13.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.16 $2.16

8.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.05 $2.05

-13.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.69 $1.69

26.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$12.34 $12.34

-18.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.06 $14.06

8.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.75 $1.75

61.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$4.83 $4.83

-28.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$5.08 $5.08

-69.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.62 $2.62

6.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.92 $0.92

73.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$30.08 $30.08

14.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.27 $1.27

-25.98%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$28.3K $28.3K

20.24%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.2K $27.2K

-1.63%

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

$223 $223

$219 $219

1.81%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$54.1 $54.1

8.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$69.1 $69.1

2.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$51.4 $51.4

12.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$14.10 $14.10

1.13%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,720 $1,720

-12.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$7,241 $7,241

188.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$61.7 $61.7

-16.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$43.66 $43.66

1.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$81.5 $81.5

6.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$110 $110

-4.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,044 $1,044

85.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,063 $1,063

23.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,694 $1,694

116.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,749 $1,749

46.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,662 $2,662

176.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,471 $2,471

26.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,530 $3,530

49.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.44

5.43%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Yakima, WA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Yakima, WA

$1.1K 47.2% 19.2% $253

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Yakima, WA

$348 15.4% 14.4% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Yakima, WA

$342 15.2% 2.9% $10

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Yakima, WA

$260 11.5% 25.8% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Yakima, WA

$133 5.9% 3.4% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Yakima, WA

$80 3.5% 7.7% $6.6

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Yakima, WA

$28 * 1.2% 52.5% $30

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 $1,044 in Yakima, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 50% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $64 in Yakima, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $348 per month, with Yakima, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Yakima, WA

🕒 Local time

18:08 6:08 PM

16:08 4:08 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

96,968

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Yakima, WA 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Yakima, WA wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Yakima, WA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 50% 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 $1,044 in Yakima, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,720 in Yakima, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Yakima, WA – a meal for two runs $64 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Yakima, WA 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 – Yakima, WA wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.