Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,199 in SeaTac, WA, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

155

Cost of Living Index in SeaTac, WA
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SeaTac, WA Living Index
130

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

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SeaTac, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,199

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,199 in SeaTac, WA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

SeaTac, WA $3,199
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,502 in SeaTac, WA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

SeaTac, WA $4,502
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,806 in SeaTac, WA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

SeaTac, WA $5,806
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in SeaTac, WA is roughly 20% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: SeaTac, WA 137% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.20 $25.20

$20.77 $20.77

21.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.3 $81.3

$84.6 $84.6

-3.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.93 $11.93

$12.32 $12.32

-3.17%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.63 $5.63

-0.53%

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

$3.26 $3.26

$3.72 $3.72

-12.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.50 $2.50

-18.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 $3.93

$8.05 $8.05

-51.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 $5.91

$9.01 $9.01

-34.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.12 $1.12

1.79%

White Bread (500g)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.75 $3.75

8.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.26 $3.26

2.45%

Eggs

$7.05 $7.05

$4.17 $4.17

69.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.77 $14.77

$12.90 $12.90

14.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.22 $14.22

$14.16 $14.16

0.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.37 $17.37

$16.22 $16.22

7.09%

Apples (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$4.33 $4.33

24.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.46 $1.46

14.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$4.51 $4.51

-4.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$4.34 $4.34

6.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.58 $2.58

-13.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.35 $2.35

28.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.78 $1.78

2.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.22 $2.22

42.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.28 $12.28

$9.88 $9.88

24.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 $18.19

$15.08 $15.08

20.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.92 $2.92

-39.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.46 $3.46

-42.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.49 $1.49

78.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.6 $89.6

$41.72 $41.72

114.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.73 $2.73

-6.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.66 $1.66

2.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.11 $30.11

$35.30 $35.30

-14.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$0.95 $0.95

51.58%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$36.0K $36.0K

0.48%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$27.1K $27.1K

0.88%

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

$227 $227

$229 $229

-0.95%

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

$61.7 $61.7

$59.4 $59.4

3.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.2 $82.2

$69.9 $69.9

17.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.17 $35.17

$57.2 $57.2

-38.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.01 $20.01

$16.33 $16.33

22.54%

Cinema Ticket

$17.63 $17.63

$14.28 $14.28

23.46%

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

$2,120 $2,120

$1,506 $1,506

40.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.3K $32.3K

$21.5K $21.5K

50.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.02 $49.02

$52.8 $52.8

-7.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.17 $22.17

$43.82 $43.82

-49.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.4 $63.4

$84.8 $84.8

-25.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.85 $46.85

$103 $103

-54.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,292 $2,292

$1,907 $1,907

20.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 $1,762

$1,274 $1,274

38.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,882 $3,882

$3,664 $3,664

5.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,636 $2,636

$2,538 $2,538

3.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 $4,016

$7,614 $7,614

-47.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,930 $3,930

$3,157 $3,157

24.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,146 $6,146

$5,121 $5,121

20.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

6.79

-3.53%

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

Last update for SeaTac, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

SeaTac, WA

$1.8K 55.1%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 27.7% $488

Groceries & Markets

SeaTac, WA

$445 13.9%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 9.1% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

SeaTac, WA

$371 11.6%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 3.3% $12

Eating Out

SeaTac, WA

$357 11.2%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 1% $3.5

Getting Around

SeaTac, WA

$111 3.5%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 47.3% $53

Clothing & Footwear

SeaTac, WA

$82 2.6%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 56.7% $46

Sport & Entertainment

SeaTac, WA

$70 2.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 21.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,292 in SeaTac, WA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

SeaTac, WA pays 20% 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: $81.0 in SeaTac, WA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $445 vs $405, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 SeaTac, WA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

03:48 3:48 AM

05:48 5:48 AM

2 h ahead of SeaTac, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,454

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

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

From you

SeaTac, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in SeaTac, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 20% higher in SeaTac, WA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,292 in SeaTac, WA versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,199 per month in SeaTac, WA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 115% less than in SeaTac, 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. 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 20% less than in SeaTac, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.