Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Yelm, WA: $2,698 and $2,622 a month, rent and utilities included.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Yelm, WA
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Yelm, WA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Yelm, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,622

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,622 in Yelm, WA.

Austin, TX $2,698
Yelm, WA $2,622

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,646 in Yelm, WA.

Austin, TX $4,160
Yelm, WA $3,646

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,669 in Yelm, WA.

Austin, TX $5,622
Yelm, WA $4,669

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 3% more expensive than in Yelm, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Yelm, WA 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$20.27 $20.27

1.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$65.1 $65.1

29.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$12.69 $12.69

-4.89%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.39 $5.39

1.67%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.91 $2.91

30.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.66 $1.66

48.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.34 $6.34

26.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.03 $7.03

26.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.12 $1.12

-0.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.63 $3.63

2.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.06 $3.06

10.13%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$5.09 $5.09

-15.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$9.21 $9.21

42.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$10.62 $10.62

33.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$13.27 $13.27

23.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.29 $4.29

6.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.22 $1.22

19.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.10 $4.10

14.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$1.95 $1.95

112.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.58 $1.58

63.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.51 $1.51

55.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.84 $0.84

110.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.56 $0.56

282.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$12.15 $12.15

-16.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.80 $14.80

2.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.27 $2.27

24.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.35 $2.35

46.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.18 $2.18

-29.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.02 $2.02

38.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.82 $1.82

-12.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$14.76 $14.76

132.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.30 $1.30

-27.69%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$28.5K $28.5K

19.41%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.69%

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

$223 $223

$159 $159

39.69%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$70.4 $70.4

-16.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$94.9 $94.9

-25.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$38.85 $38.85

48.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$9.52 $9.52

49.79%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,455 $1,455

3.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$31.1K $31.1K

-32.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$39.88 $39.88

28.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$29.45 $29.45

49.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$88.3 $88.3

-1.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$103 $103

1.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,486 $1,486

30.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,454 $1,454

-9.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,558 $2,558

43.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,129 $2,129

20.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$3,108 $3,108

136.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,162 $2,162

44.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$8,918 $8,918

-40.72%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Yelm, 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%

Yelm, WA

$1.5K 55.5% 10.5% $138

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Yelm, WA

$319 12.2% 21.4% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Yelm, WA

$325 12.4% 7.8% $27

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Yelm, WA

$329 12.6% 6% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Yelm, WA

$117 4.5% 9.2% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Yelm, WA

$58 2.2% 32.9% $28

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Yelm, WA

$20 * 0.8% 65.7% $38

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 $1,486 in Yelm, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yelm, WA pays 69% 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 $65.0 in Yelm, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $319 per month, with Yelm, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Yelm, WA

🕒 Local time

11:27 11:27 AM

09:27 9:27 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

10,617

💱 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 Yelm, WA 2,820 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yelm, WA wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Yelm, WA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 69% lower in Yelm, WA. 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,486 in Yelm, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,455 in Yelm, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Yelm, WA – a meal for two runs $65.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,622 in Yelm, WA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Yelm, WA but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Yelm, WA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Yelm, 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 Yelm, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.