Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Washington, DC and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,983 in Washington, DC, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

194

Cost of Living Index in Washington, DC
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Washington, DC Living Index
130

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

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Washington, DC

🇺🇸 United States

$3,983

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,983 in Washington, DC versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Washington, DC $3,983
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,228 in Washington, DC versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Washington, DC $6,228
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,473 in Washington, DC versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Washington, DC $8,473
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Washington, DC is roughly 50% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Washington, DC 195% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.77 $27.77

$20.77 $20.77

33.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 $108

$84.6 $84.6

27.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 $12.16

$12.32 $12.32

-1.30%

Cappuccino

$6.33 $6.33

$5.63 $5.63

12.43%

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

$3.18 $3.18

$3.72 $3.72

-14.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.50 $2.50

6.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.05 $9.05

$8.05 $8.05

12.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.02 $10.02

$9.01 $9.01

11.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.12 $1.12

18.75%

White Bread (500g)

$4.09 $4.09

$3.75 $3.75

9.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.87 $6.87

$3.26 $3.26

110.74%

Eggs

$5.75 $5.75

$4.17 $4.17

37.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.13 $17.13

$12.90 $12.90

32.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.64 $16.64

$14.16 $14.16

17.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.87 $18.87

$16.22 $16.22

16.34%

Apples (1kg)

$7.07 $7.07

$4.33 $4.33

63.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.46 $1.46

59.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.51 $4.51

9.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.86 $5.86

$4.34 $4.34

35.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.58 $2.58

10.85%

Onion (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.35 $2.35

63.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.78 $1.78

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.22 $2.22

18.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.17 $14.17

$9.88 $9.88

43.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.05 $16.05

$15.08 $15.08

6.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.92 $2.92

11.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 $5.74

$3.46 $3.46

65.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.34 $3.34

$1.49 $1.49

124.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$120 $120

$41.72 $41.72

186.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.03 $4.03

$2.73 $2.73

47.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.66 $1.66

-2.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.11 $25.11

$35.30 $35.30

-28.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.95 $0.95

14.74%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$36.0K $36.0K

0.04%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

-0.84%

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

$211 $211

$229 $229

-8.01%

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

$81.6 $81.6

$59.4 $59.4

37.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.8 $78.8

$69.9 $69.9

12.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$57.2 $57.2

96.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$73.7 $73.7

$16.33 $16.33

351.56%

Cinema Ticket

$17.76 $17.76

$14.28 $14.28

24.37%

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

$3,178 $3,178

$1,506 $1,506

111.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.6K $41.6K

$21.5K $21.5K

93.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.4 $72.4

$52.8 $52.8

37.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.71 $43.71

$43.82 $43.82

-0.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$84.8 $84.8

21.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$103 $103

19.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,730 $2,730

$1,907 $1,907

43.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,230 $2,230

$1,274 $1,274

74.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,011 $5,011

$3,664 $3,664

36.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,437 $4,437

$2,538 $2,538

74.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,288 $8,288

$7,614 $7,614

8.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,671 $3,671

$3,157 $3,157

16.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,188 $6,188

$5,121 $5,121

20.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

6.79

-2.36%

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

Last update for Washington, DC: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Washington, DC

$2.2K 56%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 42.9% $955

Groceries & Markets

Washington, DC

$513 12.9%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 21.1% $108

Eating Out

Washington, DC

$423 10.6%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 16.4% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Washington, DC

$371 9.3%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 3.4% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Washington, DC

$154 3.9%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 17% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Washington, DC

$148 3.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 41.9% $62

Getting Around

Washington, DC

$145 3.6%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 59.5% $86

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,730 in Washington, DC and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Washington, DC pays 21% 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: $108 in Washington, DC vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $513 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Washington, DC

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

02:13 2:13 AM

01:13 1:13 AM

1 h behind Washington, DC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

672,228 Capital

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Washington, DC Austin, TX 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Washington, DC
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

Washington, DC vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Washington, DC. 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 21% higher in Washington, DC, 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: $2,730 in Washington, DC 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 $3,983 per month in Washington, DC versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 187% less than in Washington, DC. 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 50% less than in Washington, DC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.