Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mount Vernon, WA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,834 in Mount Vernon, WA, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mount Vernon, WA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

136

Cost of Living Index in Mount Vernon, WA
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Mount Vernon, WA Living Index
125

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

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Mount Vernon, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,834

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,834 in Mount Vernon, WA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Mount Vernon, WA $2,834
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,004 in Mount Vernon, WA versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Mount Vernon, WA $4,004
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,173 in Mount Vernon, WA versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Mount Vernon, WA $5,173
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Mount Vernon, WA is roughly 9% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mount Vernon, WA 108% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.25 $22.25

$20.35 $20.35

9.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 $60.3

$84.7 $84.7

-28.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.86 $12.86

$12.12 $12.12

6.11%

Cappuccino

$5.96 $5.96

$5.65 $5.65

5.49%

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

$2.19 $2.19

$3.68 $3.68

-40.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.36 $2.36

-27.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.19 $7.19

$7.87 $7.87

-8.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.37 $9.37

$8.82 $8.82

6.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.14 $1.14

-7.02%

White Bread (500g)

$4.24 $4.24

$3.69 $3.69

14.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.31 $3.31

-16.62%

Eggs

$5.40 $5.40

$4.15 $4.15

30.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.21 $11.21

$12.98 $12.98

-13.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.60 $6.60

$13.86 $13.86

-52.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.19 $8.19

$16.34 $16.34

-49.88%

Apples (1kg)

$5.60 $5.60

$4.69 $4.69

19.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.45 $1.45

67.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$5.11 $5.11

4.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$4.52 $4.52

-0.44%

Potato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$3.08 $3.08

59.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.38 $2.38

-19.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.80 $1.80

12.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.22 $2.22

-11.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.92 $5.92

$9.97 $9.97

-40.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.87 $19.87

$15.05 $15.05

32.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.91 $2.91

-25.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.33 $3.33

-24.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.54 $30.54

$40.53 $40.53

-24.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$0.95 $0.95

22.11%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$34.2K $34.2K

-18.58%

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

$19.2K $19.2K

$26.8K $26.8K

-28.29%

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

$157 $157

$223 $223

-29.74%

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

$44.44 $44.44

$58.5 $58.5

-24.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.4 $65.4

$71.2 $71.2

-8.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.0 $71.0

$53.0 $53.0

33.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$13.64 $13.64

$14.06 $14.06

-2.99%

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

$1,915 $1,915

$1,459 $1,459

31.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$48.4K $48.4K

$21.3K $21.3K

126.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.55 $39.55

$52.5 $52.5

-24.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.18 $30.18

$42.75 $42.75

-29.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 $78.4

$86.4 $86.4

-9.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.0 $80.0

$104 $104

-22.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 $1,489

$2,112 $2,112

-29.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 $1,609

$1,230 $1,230

30.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,545 $2,545

$3,863 $3,863

-34.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,514 $2,514

$2,407 $2,407

4.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,964 $3,964

$7,426 $7,426

-46.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,064 $4,064

$3,060 $3,060

32.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,803 $3,803

$5,179 $5,179

-26.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

6.82

-5.87%

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

Last update for Mount Vernon, 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

Mount Vernon, WA

$1.6K 56.8%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 23.5% $378

Groceries & Markets

Mount Vernon, WA

$369 13%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 11% $41

Eating Out

Mount Vernon, WA

$358 12.6%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 2.9% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mount Vernon, WA

$267 9.4%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 32.3% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Mount Vernon, WA

$103 3.6%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 25.1% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Mount Vernon, WA

$98 3.5%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 17.4% $17

Getting Around

Mount Vernon, WA

$31 * 1.1%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 84.9% $26

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 $1,489 in Mount Vernon, WA and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $60 in Mount Vernon, WA vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $369 vs $410 per month, with Mount Vernon, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Mount Vernon, WA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

11:06 11:06 AM

13:06 1:06 PM

2 h ahead of Mount Vernon, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,893

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mount Vernon, WA Austin, TX 2,900 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Mount Vernon, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Mount Vernon, 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 27% lower in Mount Vernon, 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: $1,489 in Mount Vernon, 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 $2,834 per month in Mount Vernon, WA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mount Vernon, 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.