Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,183 in Bothell, WA, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

154

Cost of Living Index in Bothell, WA
Learn more

Bothell, WA Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Bothell, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,183

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,183 in Bothell, WA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Bothell, WA $3,183
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,942 in Bothell, WA versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Bothell, WA $4,942
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,700 in Bothell, WA versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Bothell, WA $6,700
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Bothell, WA is roughly 22% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bothell, WA 134% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.19 $25.19

$20.35 $20.35

23.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.6 $92.6

$84.7 $84.7

9.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.97 $14.97

$12.12 $12.12

23.51%

Cappuccino

$6.58 $6.58

$5.65 $5.65

16.46%

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

$3.08 $3.08

$3.68 $3.68

-16.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.36 $2.36

10.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.99 $7.99

$7.87 $7.87

1.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.18 $8.18

$8.82 $8.82

-7.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.14 $1.14

1.75%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 $4.13

$3.69 $3.69

11.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.73 $5.73

$3.31 $3.31

73.11%

Eggs

$5.65 $5.65

$4.15 $4.15

36.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.99 $15.99

$12.98 $12.98

23.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.91 $15.91

$13.86 $13.86

14.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.83 $22.83

$16.34 $16.34

39.72%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$4.69 $4.69

10.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.45 $1.45

28.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$5.11 $5.11

3.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$4.52 $4.52

20.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.08 $3.08

15.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.38 $2.38

25.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.80 $1.80

25.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.22 $2.22

28.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.19 $12.19

$9.97 $9.97

22.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.89 $14.89

$15.05 $15.05

-1.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.91 $2.91

-10.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 $4.89

$3.33 $3.33

46.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.22 $1.22

143.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 $101

$40.53 $40.53

148.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.78 $2.78

-6.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.65 $1.65

3.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.52 $30.52

$35.39 $35.39

-13.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$0.95 $0.95

46.32%

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

$30.2K $30.2K

$34.2K $34.2K

-11.77%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$26.8K $26.8K

1.55%

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

$233 $233

$223 $223

4.65%

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

$48.56 $48.56

$58.5 $58.5

-16.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 $78.6

$71.2 $71.2

10.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.2 $58.2

$53.0 $53.0

9.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.99 $11.99

$16.75 $16.75

-28.42%

Cinema Ticket

$14.90 $14.90

$14.06 $14.06

5.97%

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

$2,068 $2,068

$1,459 $1,459

41.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.0K $31.0K

$21.3K $21.3K

45.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.4 $61.4

$52.5 $52.5

16.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.12 $45.12

$42.75 $42.75

5.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 $115

$86.4 $86.4

33.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$104 $104

56.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,923 $1,923

$2,112 $2,112

-8.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,541 $1,541

$1,230 $1,230

25.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,463 $3,463

$3,863 $3,863

-10.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,052 $3,052

$2,407 $2,407

26.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,922 $5,922

$7,426 $7,426

-20.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,920 $4,920

$3,060 $3,060

60.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,220 $6,220

$5,179 $5,179

20.10%

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 Bothell, WA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bothell, WA

$1.5K 48.4%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 20.2% $311

Groceries & Markets

Bothell, WA

$492 15.5%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 16.8% $83

Eating Out

Bothell, WA

$404 12.7%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 13.9% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bothell, WA

$361 11.3%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 2.2% $7.9

Clothing & Footwear

Bothell, WA

$173 5.4%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 25.8% $45

Getting Around

Bothell, WA

$124 3.9%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 54.4% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Bothell, WA

$88 2.8%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 7.8% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,923 in Bothell, WA and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bothell, WA pays 20% 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: $93 in Bothell, WA vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $492 vs $410 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bothell, WA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

04:56 4:56 AM

06:56 6:56 AM

2 h ahead of Bothell, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

48,161

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bothell, WA Austin, TX 2,850 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Bothell, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Bothell, 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 20% higher in Bothell, WA, 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: $1,923 in Bothell, 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 $3,183 per month in Bothell, WA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 60% less than in Bothell, 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 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, Bothell, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.