Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

185

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

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

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Seattle, WA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,603 in Seattle, WA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 43% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 182% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$20.77 $20.77

21.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$84.6 $84.6

19.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$12.32 $12.32

20.54%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$5.63 $5.63

17.05%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$3.72 $3.72

-13.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.50 $2.50

25.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$8.05 $8.05

1.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$9.01 $9.01

-10.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.12 $1.12

8.04%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.75 $3.75

36.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$3.26 $3.26

93.25%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$4.17 $4.17

17.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$12.90 $12.90

48.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$14.16 $14.16

30.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$16.22 $16.22

41.99%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$4.33 $4.33

34.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.46 $1.46

33.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.51 $4.51

17.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$4.34 $4.34

49.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.58 $2.58

38.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.35 $2.35

34.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.78 $1.78

60.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.22 $2.22

9.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$9.88 $9.88

29.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$15.08 $15.08

-0.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.92 $2.92

42.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.46 $3.46

73.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.49 $1.49

104.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$41.72 $41.72

163.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.73 $2.73

-6.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.66 $1.66

-1.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$35.30 $35.30

-16.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$0.95 $0.95

49.47%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$36.0K $36.0K

-0.83%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$27.1K $27.1K

-5.59%

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

$299 $299

$229 $229

30.58%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$59.4 $59.4

19.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$69.9 $69.9

26.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$57.2 $57.2

38.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$16.33 $16.33

116.60%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$14.28 $14.28

19.89%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$1,506 $1,506

100.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$21.5K $21.5K

47.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$52.8 $52.8

46.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$43.82 $43.82

25.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$84.8 $84.8

48.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$103 $103

57.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$1,907 $1,907

29.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$1,274 $1,274

53.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$3,664 $3,664

28.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$2,538 $2,538

39.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$7,614 $7,614

-3.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$3,157 $3,157

59.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$5,121 $5,121

22.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.79

0.88%

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

Last update for Seattle, 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

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 34.9% $682

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 25.3% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 21.8% $100

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 13.4% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 32.4% $61

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 55.9% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 24.6% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,464 in Seattle, WA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 23% 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: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $542 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

10:21 10:21 AM

12:21 12:21 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Seattle, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Seattle, 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 23% higher in Seattle, 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: $2,464 in Seattle, 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 $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 164% less than in Seattle, 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 work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,663 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.