Austin vs Seattle Cost of Living
Seattle is approximately 12.4% more expensive than Austin. See salary equivalence, taxes, and side-by-side breakdown.
Austin, TX
Seattle, WA
| Salary in Austin | Equivalent in Seattle | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $56,200 | +$6,200 (+12.4%) |
| $75,000 | $84,300 | +$9,300 (+12.4%) |
| $100,000 | $112,400 | +$12,400 (+12.4%) |
| $150,000 | $168,600 | +$18,600 (+12.4%) |
| $200,000 | $224,800 | +$24,800 (+12.4%) |
Seattle is roughly 12% more expensive overall, and housing is doing almost all of the work: a one-bedroom runs $1,400 in Austin against $2,100 in Seattle.
Housing does most of the damage
Housing is the reason two metros differ at all. Everything else — groceries, a haircut, a phone plan — varies far less than rent does. A one-bedroom runs about $1,400 a month in Austin and $2,100 in Seattle — $700 a month apart, or $8,400 a year.
If you plan to buy rather than rent, the numbers move further apart: median prices of $480,000 and $830,000 mean a difference of about $70,000 in up-front cash at 20% down, plus whatever the property tax spread between Texas and Washington adds annually.
The price-to-rent ratios diverge enough to change the buy-versus-rent answer: about 29 in Austin versus 33 in Seattle. Under about 15 the math favours owning; over about 20 it favours renting and putting the down payment to work elsewhere. Which means the right answer can genuinely be to buy in one and rent in the other.
Getting around
Austin is served by limited transit; Seattle is workable without a car in many neighborhoods.
Work, weather, and what else is different
Austin is a large metro of about 2.5M and growing fast; Seattle is a large metro of about 4.0M and growing steadily.
Both metros have real employment in technology, which matters if you want to move without changing careers — your experience is legible to employers in both. Austin also leans on semiconductors and higher education, with employers like Tesla Gigafactory Texas and Apple. Seattle leans on aerospace and logistics, with Amazon and Microsoft (Redmond).
Climate belongs in the comparison, not as a footnote. Austin: Humid subtropical: January highs near 61°F/lows 40°F, July highs near 97°F/lows 75°F, hot summers with 100+ days above 90°F. Seattle: Marine climate with mild wet winters near 37°F lows and dry mild summers with July highs near 76°F.
No state income tax, but Texas relies heavily on property tax — effective rates in the Austin metro run roughly 1.8-2.2%, among the highest in the country. No Washington state income tax, a rarity for a major tech hub, though sales tax and housing costs are among the highest in the country.
The index behind the headline ratio is BEA Regional Price Parity data; rents and home prices are market figures, and tax rates are as published by each state and city. How these are compiled and updated.
Related tools
Paycheck calculator — take-home after federal, state and local tax. Salary calculator — hourly and annual conversion. Mortgage calculator — what a home in either metro actually costs monthly. Guide: the true cost of relocating.