Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,008 in Tacoma, WA, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Tacoma, WA
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Tacoma, WA Living Index
125

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

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Tacoma, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,008

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,008 in Tacoma, WA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Tacoma, WA $3,008
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,371 in Tacoma, WA versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Tacoma, WA $4,371
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,735 in Tacoma, WA versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Tacoma, WA $5,735
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Tacoma, WA is roughly 15% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tacoma, WA 121% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.28 $25.28

$20.35 $20.35

24.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.9 $80.9

$84.7 $84.7

-4.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.14 $12.14

$12.12 $12.12

0.17%

Cappuccino

$5.61 $5.61

$5.65 $5.65

-0.71%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$3.68 $3.68

-15.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.36 $2.36

11.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.94 $6.94

$7.87 $7.87

-11.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.92 $6.92

$8.82 $8.82

-21.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.14 $1.14

-3.51%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.69 $3.69

13.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.83 $5.83

$3.31 $3.31

76.13%

Eggs

$5.69 $5.69

$4.15 $4.15

37.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.85 $15.85

$12.98 $12.98

22.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.91 $15.91

$13.86 $13.86

14.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.45 $23.45

$16.34 $16.34

43.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$4.69 $4.69

6.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.45 $1.45

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$5.11 $5.11

-15.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$3.08 $3.08

-12.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.38 $2.38

23.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.80 $1.80

-3.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.22 $2.22

46.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.05 $12.05

$9.97 $9.97

20.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.35 $18.35

$15.05 $15.05

21.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.91 $2.91

-39.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.99 $4.99

$3.33 $3.33

49.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.22 $1.22

65.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.6 $62.6

$40.53 $40.53

54.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.78 $2.78

-8.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.65 $1.65

2.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.77 $29.77

$35.39 $35.39

-15.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$0.95 $0.95

38.95%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$34.2K $34.2K

-17.43%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$26.8K $26.8K

1.42%

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

$230 $230

$223 $223

3.35%

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

$91.1 $91.1

$58.5 $58.5

55.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.7 $86.7

$71.2 $71.2

21.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.12 $36.12

$53.0 $53.0

-31.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.09 $18.09

$16.75 $16.75

8.00%

Cinema Ticket

$13.97 $13.97

$14.06 $14.06

-0.64%

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

$2,085 $2,085

$1,459 $1,459

42.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.6K $32.6K

$21.3K $21.3K

52.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.9 $61.9

$52.5 $52.5

17.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.73 $44.73

$42.75 $42.75

4.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 $86.3

$86.4 $86.4

-0.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 $130

$104 $104

25.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,735 $1,735

$2,112 $2,112

-17.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,444 $1,444

$1,230 $1,230

17.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,699 $2,699

$3,863 $3,863

-30.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,309 $2,309

$2,407 $2,407

-4.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,794 $4,794

$7,426 $7,426

-35.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,251 $3,251

$3,060 $3,060

6.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,927 $4,927

$5,179 $5,179

-4.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.82

-2.64%

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

Last update for Tacoma, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tacoma, WA

$1.4K 48%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 14.8% $213

Groceries & Markets

Tacoma, WA

$487 16.2%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 15.9% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tacoma, WA

$408 13.6%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 13.6% $56

Eating Out

Tacoma, WA

$378 12.6%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 7.8% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Tacoma, WA

$145 4.8%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 11.5% $17

Getting Around

Tacoma, WA

$82 2.7%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 30.9% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Tacoma, WA

$64 2.1%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 26.7% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,735 in Tacoma, WA and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $81 in Tacoma, WA vs $85 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $487 vs $410, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Tacoma, WA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

07:09 7:09 AM

09:09 9:09 AM

2 h ahead of Tacoma, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

219,346

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

From you

Tacoma, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Tacoma, 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 5% lower in Tacoma, 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: $1,735 in Tacoma, 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 $3,008 per month in Tacoma, WA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 35% less than in Tacoma, 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.