Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Federal Way, WA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,324 in Federal Way, WA, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Federal Way, WA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

162

Cost of Living Index in Federal Way, WA
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Federal Way, WA Living Index
130

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

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Federal Way, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,324

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,324 in Federal Way, WA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Federal Way, WA $3,324
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,324 in Federal Way, WA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Federal Way, WA $4,324
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,324 in Federal Way, WA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Federal Way, WA $5,324
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Federal Way, WA is roughly 25% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Federal Way, WA 146% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.74 $24.74

$20.77 $20.77

19.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.1 $76.1

$84.6 $84.6

-10.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.56 $12.56

$12.32 $12.32

1.95%

Cappuccino

$5.82 $5.82

$5.63 $5.63

3.37%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$3.72 $3.72

-21.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.50 $2.50

-33.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.06 $7.06

$8.05 $8.05

-12.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 $7.12

$9.01 $9.01

-20.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.12 $1.12

-2.68%

White Bread (500g)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.75 $3.75

8.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.26 $3.26

-6.44%

Eggs

$5.09 $5.09

$4.17 $4.17

22.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 $16.26

$12.90 $12.90

26.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 $10.51

$14.16 $14.16

-25.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.36 $19.36

$16.22 $16.22

19.36%

Apples (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$4.33 $4.33

18.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.46 $1.46

8.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$4.51 $4.51

-4.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$4.34 $4.34

6.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.58 $2.58

4.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.35 $2.35

1.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.78 $1.78

25.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.22 $2.22

17.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.08 $13.08

$9.88 $9.88

32.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.08 $15.08

0.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.92 $2.92

-41.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 $4.84

$3.46 $3.46

39.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.49 $1.49

77.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.73 $2.73

-3.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.66 $1.66

0.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.83 $29.83

$35.30 $35.30

-15.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$0.95 $0.95

38.95%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$36.0K $36.0K

1.01%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$27.1K $27.1K

-5.09%

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

$157 $157

$229 $229

-31.26%

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

$76.9 $76.9

$59.4 $59.4

29.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.0 $88.0

$69.9 $69.9

25.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.95 $12.95

$57.2 $57.2

-77.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$11.79 $11.79

$14.28 $14.28

-17.44%

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

$1,446 $1,446

$1,506 $1,506

-3.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.2K $32.2K

$21.5K $21.5K

50.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.83 $45.83

$52.8 $52.8

-13.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.65 $44.65

$43.82 $43.82

1.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.4 $84.4

$84.8 $84.8

-0.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 $100

$103 $103

-2.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,017 $2,017

$1,907 $1,907

5.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,025 $2,025

$1,274 $1,274

58.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,773 $2,773

$3,664 $3,664

-24.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,419 $2,419

$2,538 $2,538

-4.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,440 $4,440

$5,121 $5,121

-13.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.79

-2.21%

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

Last update for Federal Way, WA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Federal Way, WA

$2K 60.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 37.1% $751

Groceries & Markets

Federal Way, WA

$421 12.7%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 3.8% $16

Eating Out

Federal Way, WA

$373 11.2%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 5.2% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Federal Way, WA

$322 9.7%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 11.2% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Federal Way, WA

$124 3.7%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 3.3% $4.1

Sport & Entertainment

Federal Way, WA

$37 1.1%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 135% $49

Getting Around

Federal Way, WA

$22 * 0.7%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 172% $37

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 $2,017 in Federal Way, WA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $76.0 in Federal Way, WA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $421 vs $405, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Federal Way, WA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

21:20 9:20 PM

23:20 11:20 PM

2 h ahead of Federal Way, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

101,030

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Federal Way, WA Austin, TX 2,830 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Federal Way, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Federal Way, 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 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: $2,017 in Federal Way, WA versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,446 in Federal Way, WA versus $1,506 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 Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $76.0 in Federal Way, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

Safety-wise, Federal Way, WA and Austin, TX 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Federal Way, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.