Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ellensburg, WA: $2,404 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

117

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

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

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Ellensburg, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,404

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,404 in Ellensburg, WA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Ellensburg, WA $2,404
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,555 in Ellensburg, WA versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Ellensburg, WA $3,555
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,705 in Ellensburg, WA versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Ellensburg, WA $4,705
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Ellensburg, WA costs roughly 8% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ellensburg, WA 77% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.25 $15.25

$20.35 $20.35

-25.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.2 $75.2

$84.7 $84.7

-11.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.13 $12.13

$12.12 $12.12

0.08%

Cappuccino

$5.04 $5.04

$5.65 $5.65

-10.80%

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

$1.54 $1.54

$3.68 $3.68

-58.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 $1.26

$2.36 $2.36

-46.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 $4.87

$7.87 $7.87

-38.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 $6.09

$8.82 $8.82

-30.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.14 $1.14

-14.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.69 $3.69

-24.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.31 $3.31

42.30%

Eggs

$4.23 $4.23

$4.15 $4.15

1.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.48 $15.48

$12.98 $12.98

19.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 $6.66

$13.86 $13.86

-51.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 $13.53

$16.34 $16.34

-17.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$4.69 $4.69

-1.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.45 $1.45

-1.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$5.11 $5.11

-16.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$4.52 $4.52

-12.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$3.08 $3.08

-50.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.38 $2.38

-6.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.80 $1.80

8.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.22 $2.22

-13.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.89 $9.89

$9.97 $9.97

-0.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.99 $13.99

$15.05 $15.05

-7.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.91 $2.91

-36.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 $4.90

$3.33 $3.33

47.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.22 $1.22

68.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.6 $57.6

$40.53 $40.53

41.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 $5.09

$2.78 $2.78

83.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.65 $1.65

6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.42 $39.42

$35.39 $35.39

11.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$0.95 $0.95

9.47%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$34.2K $34.2K

-19.37%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$26.8K $26.8K

1.96%

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

$149 $149

$223 $223

-33.10%

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

$39.60 $39.60

$58.5 $58.5

-32.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.3 $71.3

$71.2 $71.2

0.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.90 $40.90

$53.0 $53.0

-22.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$15.93 $15.93

$14.06 $14.06

13.30%

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

$1,356 $1,356

$1,459 $1,459

-7.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K $21.6K

$21.3K $21.3K

1.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.48 $34.48

$52.5 $52.5

-34.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.61 $34.61

$42.75 $42.75

-19.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$86.4 $86.4

26.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.10 $40.10

$104 $104

-61.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 $1,614

$2,112 $2,112

-23.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 $1,277

$1,230 $1,230

3.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,509 $2,509

$3,863 $3,863

-35.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,172 $2,172

$2,407 $2,407

-9.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,531 $4,531

$7,426 $7,426

-38.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 $4,418

$3,060 $3,060

44.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,785 $1,785

$5,179 $5,179

-65.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

6.82

-4.69%

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

Last update for Ellensburg, WA: October 27, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ellensburg, WA

$1.3K 53.1%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 3.7% $47

Groceries & Markets

Ellensburg, WA

$349 14.5%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 17.4% $61

Eating Out

Ellensburg, WA

$267 11.1%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 30.6% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ellensburg, WA

$260 10.8%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 35.6% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Ellensburg, WA

$98 4.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 30.7% $30

Getting Around

Ellensburg, WA

$80 3.3%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 29.1% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Ellensburg, WA

$73 3%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 11.5% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Ellensburg, WA and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays about 2.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $75 in Ellensburg, WA vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $410 per month, with Ellensburg, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ellensburg, WA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

09:59 9:59 AM

11:59 11:59 AM

2 h ahead of Ellensburg, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,666

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Ellensburg, WA Austin, TX 2,700 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ellensburg, 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

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

Ellensburg, WA wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ellensburg, WA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 66% lower in Ellensburg, 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: $1,614 in Ellensburg, 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 $2,404 per month in Ellensburg, WA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 30% less than in Ellensburg, 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. Ellensburg, 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 – Ellensburg, 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.