Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Yakima, WA: $2,253 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Yakima, WA
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Yakima, WA Living Index
129

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

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Yakima, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,253

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,253 in Yakima, WA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Yakima, WA $2,253
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Yakima, WA versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Yakima, WA $3,276
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,299 in Yakima, WA versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Yakima, WA $4,299
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Yakima, WA costs roughly 16% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Yakima, WA 66% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.57 $15.57

$20.63 $20.63

-24.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 $64.1

$84.6 $84.6

-24.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.38 $11.38

$12.07 $12.07

-5.72%

Cappuccino

$4.54 $4.54

$5.48 $5.48

-17.15%

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

$2.15 $2.15

$3.80 $3.80

-43.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.47 $2.47

6.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.78 $3.78

$8.05 $8.05

-53.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$8.88 $8.88

-53.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.11 $1.11

-10.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 $3.90

$3.72 $3.72

4.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$3.37 $3.37

6.82%

Eggs

$3.22 $3.22

$4.32 $4.32

-25.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.70 $11.70

$13.13 $13.13

-10.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 $8.88

$14.15 $14.15

-37.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.80 $14.80

$16.33 $16.33

-9.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$4.55 $4.55

-23.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.46 $1.46

8.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$4.71 $4.71

-9.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 $3.42

$4.15 $4.15

-17.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.58 $2.58

-11.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.35 $2.35

-8.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.77 $1.77

15.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.14 $2.14

-21.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.34 $12.34

$10.10 $10.10

22.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 $14.06

$15.19 $15.19

-7.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.82 $2.82

-37.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 $4.83

$3.44 $3.44

40.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.08 $5.08

$1.54 $1.54

229.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.80 $2.80

-6.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.60 $1.60

-42.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.08 $30.08

$34.34 $34.34

-12.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.94 $0.94

35.11%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$34.0K $34.0K

-16.83%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$26.8K $26.8K

1.66%

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

$219 $219

$223 $223

-1.77%

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

$54.1 $54.1

$58.9 $58.9

-8.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$70.6 $70.6

-2.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 $51.4

$57.7 $57.7

-10.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.10 $14.10

$14.26 $14.26

-1.12%

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

$1,720 $1,720

$1,511 $1,511

13.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,241 $7,241

$20.9K $20.9K

-65.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 $61.7

$51.3 $51.3

20.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.66 $43.66

$44.17 $44.17

-1.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 $81.5

$87.0 $87.0

-6.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$104 $104

5.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 $1,044

$1,940 $1,940

-46.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 $1,063

$1,316 $1,316

-19.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 $1,694

$3,664 $3,664

-53.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 $1,749

$2,565 $2,565

-31.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,662 $2,662

$7,354 $7,354

-63.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,471 $2,471

$3,129 $3,129

-21.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,530 $3,530

$5,286 $5,286

-33.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

6.79

-5.15%

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

Last update for Yakima, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Yakima, WA

$1.1K 47.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 23.8% $253

Groceries & Markets

Yakima, WA

$348 15.4%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 16.8% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yakima, WA

$342 15.2%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 3% $10

Eating Out

Yakima, WA

$260 11.5%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 34.9% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Yakima, WA

$133 5.9%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 3.3% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Yakima, WA

$80 3.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 8.3% $6.6

Getting Around

Yakima, WA

$28 * 1.2%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 110% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,044 in Yakima, WA and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 50% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $64 in Yakima, WA vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $348 vs $406 per month, with Yakima, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Yakima, WA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

12:36 12:36 PM

14:36 2:36 PM

2 h ahead of Yakima, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

96,968

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Yakima, WA Austin, TX 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Yakima, WA
Austin, TX

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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

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

Yakima, WA wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Yakima, WA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in Yakima, 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: $1,044 in Yakima, WA versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,720 in Yakima, WA versus $1,511 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Yakima, WA – a meal for two runs $64 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Yakima, WA 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 – Yakima, WA wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.