Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Buckley, WA: $2,432 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

118

Cost of Living Index in Buckley, WA
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Buckley, WA Living Index
129

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

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Buckley, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,432

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,432 in Buckley, WA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Buckley, WA $2,432
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,581 in Buckley, WA versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Buckley, WA $3,581
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,730 in Buckley, WA versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Buckley, WA $4,730
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Buckley, WA costs roughly 10% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buckley, WA 79% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.29 $25.29

$20.63 $20.63

22.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.7 $65.7

$84.6 $84.6

-22.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.37 $12.37

$12.07 $12.07

2.49%

Cappuccino

$6.27 $6.27

$5.48 $5.48

14.42%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$3.80 $3.80

-22.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.47 $2.47

-31.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$8.05 $8.05

-11.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 $7.06

$8.88 $8.88

-20.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.11 $1.11

-32.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 $2.21

$3.72 $3.72

-40.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$3.37 $3.37

-4.15%

Eggs

$4.01 $4.01

$4.32 $4.32

-7.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 $13.29

$13.13 $13.13

1.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 $8.86

$14.15 $14.15

-37.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.37 $13.37

$16.33 $16.33

-18.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$4.55 $4.55

-28.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.46 $1.46

8.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$4.71 $4.71

-38.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$4.15 $4.15

-21.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.58 $2.58

6.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.35 $2.35

3.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.77 $1.77

32.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.14 $2.14

22.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.06 $10.06

$10.10 $10.10

-0.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.03 $7.03

$15.19 $15.19

-53.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.82 $2.82

-11.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$3.44 $3.44

-32.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.54 $1.54

22.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 $5.08

$2.80 $2.80

81.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.60 $1.60

-23.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.78 $24.78

$34.34 $34.34

-27.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$0.94 $0.94

39.36%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$34.0K $34.0K

-17.37%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.57%

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

$159 $159

$223 $223

-28.78%

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

$69.9 $69.9

$58.9 $58.9

18.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.10 $40.10

$70.6 $70.6

-43.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.32 $40.32

$57.7 $57.7

-30.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$12.14 $12.14

$14.26 $14.26

-14.87%

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

$1,428 $1,428

$1,511 $1,511

-5.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$20.9K $20.9K

12.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.07 $27.07

$51.3 $51.3

-47.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 $56.1

$44.17 $44.17

27.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.32 $41.32

$87.0 $87.0

-52.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.5 $65.5

$104 $104

-37.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,571 $1,571

$1,940 $1,940

-19.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 $1,290

$1,316 $1,316

-1.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,461 $2,461

$3,664 $3,664

-32.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,186 $2,186

$2,565 $2,565

-14.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,699 $2,699

$7,354 $7,354

-63.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,412 $2,412

$3,129 $3,129

-22.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,544 $2,544

$5,286 $5,286

-51.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.79

0.29%

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

Last update for Buckley, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buckley, WA

$1.3K 53.1%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 2% $26

Eating Out

Buckley, WA

$383 15.7%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 8.5% $33

Groceries & Markets

Buckley, WA

$322 13.2%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 26.2% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buckley, WA

$269 11%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 31.1% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Buckley, WA

$85 3.5%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 51% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Buckley, WA

$65 2.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 33.5% $22

Getting Around

Buckley, WA

$19 * 0.8%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 209% $39

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 $1,571 in Buckley, WA and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 108% 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: $66.0 in Buckley, WA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $406 per month, with Buckley, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Buckley, WA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

06:23 6:23 AM

08:23 8:23 AM

2 h ahead of Buckley, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Buckley, WA Austin, TX 2,800 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Buckley, WA
Austin, TX

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Buckley, WA wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Buckley, WA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 108% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $1,571 in Buckley, WA versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,428 in Buckley, WA versus $1,511 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Buckley, WA – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Buckley, 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.

Expats usually find Buckley, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.