Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,010 in Bellingham, WA, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

145

Cost of Living Index in Bellingham, WA
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Bellingham, WA Living Index
125

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

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Bellingham, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,010

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bellingham, WA and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bellingham, WA and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,010 in Bellingham, WA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Bellingham, WA $3,010
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,448 in Bellingham, WA versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Bellingham, WA $4,448
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,886 in Bellingham, WA versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Bellingham, WA $5,886
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Bellingham, WA is roughly 15% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bellingham, WA 121% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.70 $24.70

$20.35 $20.35

21.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$84.7 $84.7

19.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.26 $13.26

$12.12 $12.12

9.41%

Cappuccino

$5.94 $5.94

$5.65 $5.65

5.13%

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

$3.16 $3.16

$3.68 $3.68

-14.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.36 $2.36

-7.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.87 $7.87

-12.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 $6.90

$8.82 $8.82

-21.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.14 $1.14

-0.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.82 $3.82

$3.69 $3.69

3.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$3.31 $3.31

48.34%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$4.15 $4.15

19.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.80 $18.80

$12.98 $12.98

44.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.61 $18.61

$13.86 $13.86

34.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.00 $23.00

$16.34 $16.34

40.76%

Apples (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.69 $4.69

9.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.45 $1.45

30.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$5.11 $5.11

4.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.32 $6.32

$4.52 $4.52

39.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$3.08 $3.08

17.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.38 $2.38

32.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.80 $1.80

41.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.22 $2.22

11.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.44 $12.44

$9.97 $9.97

24.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.95 $14.95

$15.05 $15.05

-0.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.91 $2.91

-39.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 $5.74

$3.33 $3.33

72.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.22 $1.22

63.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.51 $30.51

$40.53 $40.53

-24.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.78 $2.78

-3.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.65 $1.65

3.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.27 $30.27

$35.39 $35.39

-14.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$0.95 $0.95

51.58%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$34.2K $34.2K

-19.56%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-3.90%

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

$217 $217

$223 $223

-2.64%

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

$57.4 $57.4

$58.5 $58.5

-1.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.3 $81.3

$71.2 $71.2

14.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.0 $62.0

$53.0 $53.0

16.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$16.75 $16.75

-11.52%

Cinema Ticket

$18.31 $18.31

$14.06 $14.06

30.23%

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

$1,125 $1,125

$1,459 $1,459

-22.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.7K $31.7K

$21.3K $21.3K

48.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 $80.5

$52.5 $52.5

53.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.32 $28.32

$42.75 $42.75

-33.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$86.4 $86.4

25.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 $149

$104 $104

43.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 $1,707

$2,112 $2,112

-19.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 $1,458

$1,230 $1,230

18.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,598 $2,598

$3,863 $3,863

-32.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,347 $2,347

$2,407 $2,407

-2.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,441 $4,441

$7,426 $7,426

-40.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,925 $3,925

$3,060 $3,060

28.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,391 $4,391

$5,179 $5,179

-15.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

6.82

-2.05%

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

Last update for Bellingham, WA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bellingham, WA

$1.5K 48.4%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 15.6% $227

Groceries & Markets

Bellingham, WA

$505 16.8%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 18.8% $95

Eating Out

Bellingham, WA

$378 12.6%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 7.9% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bellingham, WA

$356 11.8%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 0.9% $3.1

Clothing & Footwear

Bellingham, WA

$165 5.5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 22.2% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Bellingham, WA

$99 3.3%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 17.7% $17

Getting Around

Bellingham, WA

$50 1.7%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 13.7% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Bellingham, WA and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $101 in Bellingham, WA vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $505 vs $410 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bellingham, WA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

06:05 6:05 AM

08:05 8:05 AM

2 h ahead of Bellingham, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,482

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Bellingham, WA Austin, TX 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bellingham, WA
Austin, TX

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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Bellingham, 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 Bellingham, 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: $1,707 in Bellingham, WA versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,010 per month in Bellingham, WA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bellingham, WA runs roughly 25% less than in Austin, TX. 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 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.