Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Yelm, WA and in Austin, TX: $2,622 and $2,698 a month, rent and utilities included.

119

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

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

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Yelm, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,622

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,622 in Yelm, WA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Yelm, WA $2,622
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,646 in Yelm, WA versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Yelm, WA $3,646
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,669 in Yelm, WA versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Yelm, WA $4,669
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Yelm, WA costs roughly 3% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Yelm, WA 93% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.27 $20.27

$20.63 $20.63

-1.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.1 $65.1

$84.6 $84.6

-23.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.69 $12.69

$12.07 $12.07

5.14%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$5.48 $5.48

-1.64%

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

$2.91 $2.91

$3.80 $3.80

-23.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.47 $2.47

-32.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.34 $6.34

$8.05 $8.05

-21.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.03 $7.03

$8.88 $8.88

-20.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.11 $1.11

0.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.63 $3.63

$3.72 $3.72

-2.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.37 $3.37

-9.20%

Eggs

$5.09 $5.09

$4.32 $4.32

17.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.21 $9.21

$13.13 $13.13

-29.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.62 $10.62

$14.15 $14.15

-24.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.27 $13.27

$16.33 $16.33

-18.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$4.55 $4.55

-5.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.46 $1.46

-16.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$4.71 $4.71

-12.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$4.15 $4.15

-53.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.58 $2.58

-38.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.35 $2.35

-35.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.77 $1.77

-52.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 $0.56

$2.14 $2.14

-73.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.15 $12.15

$10.10 $10.10

20.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.80 $14.80

$15.19 $15.19

-2.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.82 $2.82

-19.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.44 $3.44

-31.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.54 $1.54

41.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.80 $2.80

-27.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.60 $1.60

13.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.76 $14.76

$34.34 $34.34

-57.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$0.94 $0.94

38.30%

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

$28.5K $28.5K

$34.0K $34.0K

-16.25%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.69%

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

$159 $159

$223 $223

-28.41%

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

$70.4 $70.4

$58.9 $58.9

19.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$94.9 $94.9

$70.6 $70.6

34.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.85 $38.85

$57.7 $57.7

-32.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 $9.52

$14.26 $14.26

-33.24%

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

$1,455 $1,455

$1,511 $1,511

-3.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$20.9K $20.9K

49.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.88 $39.88

$51.3 $51.3

-22.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.45 $29.45

$44.17 $44.17

-33.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 $88.3

$87.0 $87.0

1.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$104 $104

-1.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 $1,486

$1,940 $1,940

-23.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,454 $1,454

$1,316 $1,316

10.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,558 $2,558

$3,664 $3,664

-30.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,129 $2,129

$2,565 $2,565

-16.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,108 $3,108

$7,354 $7,354

-57.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,162 $2,162

$3,129 $3,129

-30.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,918 $8,918

$5,286 $5,286

68.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.79

-2.95%

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

Last update for Yelm, 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

Yelm, WA

$1.5K 55.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 9.5% $138

Eating Out

Yelm, WA

$329 12.6%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 6.4% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yelm, WA

$325 12.4%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 8.5% $27

Groceries & Markets

Yelm, WA

$319 12.2%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 27.2% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Yelm, WA

$117 4.5%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 10.2% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Yelm, WA

$58 2.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 49% $28

Getting Around

Yelm, WA

$20 * 0.8%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 192% $38

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 $1,486 in Yelm, WA and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yelm, WA pays 69% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Yelm, WA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $406 per month, with Yelm, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Yelm, WA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

08:46 8:46 AM

10:46 10:46 AM

2 h ahead of Yelm, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,617

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Yelm, WA Austin, TX 2,820 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Yelm, WA
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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

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

Yelm, WA wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Yelm, WA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 69% higher in Yelm, 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: $1,486 in Yelm, WA versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,455 in Yelm, 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 Yelm, WA – a meal for two runs $65.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,622 in Yelm, WA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Yelm, WA but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Yelm, WA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Yelm, WA and Austin, TX are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Yelm, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.