Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between University Place, WA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,689 a month against $2,876 in University Place, WA, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. The total is higher in University Place, WA despite lower rent and utilities.

137

Cost of Living Index in University Place, WA
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University Place, WA Living Index
128

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

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University Place, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,876

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,876 in University Place, WA versus $2,689 in Austin, TX.

University Place, WA $2,876
Austin, TX $2,689

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,279 in University Place, WA versus $4,112 in Austin, TX.

University Place, WA $4,279
Austin, TX $4,112

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,682 in University Place, WA versus $5,534 in Austin, TX.

University Place, WA $5,682
Austin, TX $5,534

Living in University Place, WA is roughly 7% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: University Place, WA 113% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.38 $23.38

$21.34 $21.34

9.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$87.9 $87.9

14.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.15 $12.15

$12.44 $12.44

-2.33%

Cappuccino

$6.08 $6.08

$5.60 $5.60

8.57%

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

$3.12 $3.12

$3.65 $3.65

-14.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.39 $2.39

31.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.93 $7.93

$7.82 $7.82

1.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.86 $7.86

$8.75 $8.75

-10.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.12 $1.12

-1.79%

White Bread (500g)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.62 $3.62

11.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.95 $5.95

$3.50 $3.50

70.00%

Eggs

$4.97 $4.97

$4.45 $4.45

11.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.11 $16.11

$13.18 $13.18

22.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.19 $18.19

$13.94 $13.94

30.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.33 $23.33

$16.46 $16.46

41.74%

Apples (1kg)

$5.91 $5.91

$4.73 $4.73

24.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.50 $1.50

18.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$4.64 $4.64

19.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$4.52 $4.52

-0.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.55 $2.55

36.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.39 $2.39

17.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.84 $1.84

6.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.13 $2.13

43.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.43 $12.43

$10.05 $10.05

23.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.17 $18.17

$14.88 $14.88

22.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.82 $2.82

-37.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 $4.95

$3.29 $3.29

50.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.23 $1.23

73.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.8 $65.8

$41.43 $41.43

58.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.68 $2.68

-0.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.63 $1.63

4.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.49 $30.49

$35.20 $35.20

-13.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$0.98 $0.98

47.96%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$34.4K $34.4K

-18.84%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$26.8K $26.8K

-1.21%

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

$233 $233

$252 $252

-7.62%

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

$68.7 $68.7

$59.8 $59.8

14.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.6 $88.6

$69.7 $69.7

27.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.56 $39.56

$60.4 $60.4

-34.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$17.88 $17.88

$13.75 $13.75

30.04%

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

$2,087 $2,087

$1,458 $1,458

43.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K $27.9K

$26.6K $26.6K

4.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.3 $60.3

$52.6 $52.6

14.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.90 $44.90

$45.76 $45.76

-1.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 $130

$85.5 $85.5

51.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 $127

$106 $106

20.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 $1,573

$2,195 $2,195

-28.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,280 $1,280

$1,269 $1,269

0.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,599 $2,599

$4,000 $4,000

-35.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,111 $2,111

$2,406 $2,406

-12.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,918 $2,918

$7,381 $7,381

-60.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,644 $2,644

$2,964 $2,964

-10.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,149 $8,149

$5,043 $5,043

61.61%

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 University Place, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

University Place, WA

$1.3K 44.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2% 0.9% $11

Groceries & Markets

University Place, WA

$505 17.6%

Austin, TX

$407 15.2% 19.3% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

University Place, WA

$390 13.6%

Austin, TX

$382 14.2% 2.2% $8.6

Eating Out

University Place, WA

$377 13.1%

Austin, TX

$356 13.2% 5.5% $21

Clothing & Footwear

University Place, WA

$163 5.7%

Austin, TX

$130 4.9% 20.1% $33

Getting Around

University Place, WA

$85 3%

Austin, TX

$57 2.1% 33.1% $28

Sport & Entertainment

University Place, WA

$75 2.6%

Austin, TX

$88 3.3% 16.6% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in University Place, WA and $2,195 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

University Place, WA pays 62% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in University Place, WA vs $88 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $505 vs $407 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 University Place, WA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

07:12 7:12 AM

09:12 9:12 AM

2 h ahead of University Place, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,866

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

University Place, WA Austin, TX 2,840 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

University Place, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in University Place, 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 62% higher in University Place, 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: $1,573 in University Place, WA versus $2,195 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,876 per month in University Place, WA versus $2,689 in Austin, TX – Austin, TX is about 6% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 37% less than in University Place, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch 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.

It comes down to priorities – Austin, TX wins on affordability, University Place, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.