Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $2,983 in Olympia, WA, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

144

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

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

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Olympia, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,983

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,983 in Olympia, WA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Olympia, WA $2,983
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,154 in Olympia, WA versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Olympia, WA $4,154
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,325 in Olympia, WA versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Olympia, WA $5,325
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Olympia, WA is roughly 11% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Olympia, WA 120% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$20.63 $20.63

18.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.0 $65.0

$84.6 $84.6

-23.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.68 $12.68

$12.07 $12.07

5.05%

Cappuccino

$6.42 $6.42

$5.48 $5.48

17.15%

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

$2.92 $2.92

$3.80 $3.80

-23.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.47 $2.47

-31.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.90 $6.90

$8.05 $8.05

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 $6.94

$8.88 $8.88

-21.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.11 $1.11

-3.60%

White Bread (500g)

$4.46 $4.46

$3.72 $3.72

19.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.37 $3.37

-6.23%

Eggs

$5.03 $5.03

$4.32 $4.32

16.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.35 $18.35

$13.13 $13.13

39.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.41 $10.41

$14.15 $14.15

-26.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.73 $16.73

$16.33 $16.33

2.45%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 $5.24

$4.55 $4.55

15.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.46 $1.46

10.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$4.71 $4.71

-15.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$4.15 $4.15

10.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.58 $2.58

1.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.35 $2.35

5.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.77 $1.77

32.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.14 $2.14

19.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.09 $12.09

$10.10 $10.10

19.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 $14.85

$15.19 $15.19

-2.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.82 $2.82

-13.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.44 $3.44

-31.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.54 $1.54

-43.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 $5.03

$2.80 $2.80

79.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.60 $1.60

66.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.7 $51.7

$34.34 $34.34

50.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 $1.36

$0.94 $0.94

44.68%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$34.0K $34.0K

-17.04%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$26.8K $26.8K

1.25%

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

$156 $156

$223 $223

-30.02%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$58.9 $58.9

18.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$95.4 $95.4

$70.6 $70.6

35.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.1 $69.1

$57.7 $57.7

19.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.06 $5.06

$16.53 $16.53

-69.39%

Cinema Ticket

$12.09 $12.09

$14.26 $14.26

-15.22%

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

$1,454 $1,454

$1,511 $1,511

-3.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.13 $45.13

$51.3 $51.3

-11.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 $54.5

$44.17 $44.17

23.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 $91.2

$87.0 $87.0

4.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$104 $104

-1.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 $1,718

$1,940 $1,940

-11.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,618 $1,618

$1,316 $1,316

22.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,143 $3,143

$3,664 $3,664

-14.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,350 $2,350

$2,565 $2,565

-8.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,235 $3,235

$7,354 $7,354

-56.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,068 $3,068

$3,129 $3,129

-1.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,106 $5,106

$5,286 $5,286

-3.41%

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 Olympia, WA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Olympia, WA

$1.6K 54.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 18.6% $301

Groceries & Markets

Olympia, WA

$420 14.1%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 3.2% $14

Eating Out

Olympia, WA

$378 12.7%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 7.4% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Olympia, WA

$321 10.8%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 9.8% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Olympia, WA

$132 4.4%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 2.2% $2.9

Sport & Entertainment

Olympia, WA

$93 3.1%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 7.5% $7

Getting Around

Olympia, WA

$22 * 0.7%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 166% $36

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 $1,718 in Olympia, WA and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Olympia, WA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $420 vs $406, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Olympia, WA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

21:36 9:36 PM

23:36 11:36 PM

2 h ahead of Olympia, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

55,605

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

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

From you

Olympia, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Olympia, 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 4% 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: $1,718 in Olympia, WA versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,454 in Olympia, 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 Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $65.0 in Olympia, 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.

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