Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Arlington, KY

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Arlington, KY: $2,698 and $2,653 a month, rent and utilities included.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, KY
Learn more

Arlington, KY Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Arlington, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,653

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Arlington, KY

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Arlington, KY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,653 in Arlington, KY.

Austin, TX $2,698
Arlington, KY $2,653

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,917 in Arlington, KY.

Austin, TX $4,160
Arlington, KY $3,917

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $5,180 in Arlington, KY.

Austin, TX $5,622
Arlington, KY $5,180

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 2% more expensive than in Arlington, KY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Arlington, KY 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$18.42 $18.42

12.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$84.1 $84.1

0.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.88 $11.88

1.60%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$6.64 $6.64

-17.47%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.83 $2.83

34.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.39 $2.39

3.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.89 $6.89

16.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$8.11 $8.11

9.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.77 $0.77

44.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.96 $3.96

-6.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.05 $4.05

-16.79%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.29 $4.29

0.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$12.87 $12.87

2.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$14.53 $14.53

-2.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$18.27 $18.27

-10.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.82 $5.82

-21.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.53 $1.53

-4.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.21 $4.21

11.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.87 $4.87

-14.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.99 $1.99

29.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.24 $2.24

4.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.38 $2.38

-25.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.49 $1.49

43.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$9.37 $9.37

7.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.88 $15.88

-4.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.42 $2.42

16.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$4.67 $4.67

-26.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.99 $1.99

-22.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$4.89 $4.89

-42.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.51 $1.51

5.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$20.90 $20.90

64.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.05 $1.05

-10.48%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$37.3K $37.3K

-8.97%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.9K $26.9K

-0.56%

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

$223 $223

$230 $230

-3.22%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$74.5 $74.5

-20.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$75.1 $75.1

-5.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$40.90 $40.90

41.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$15.19 $15.19

-6.12%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,442 $1,442

4.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$30.8K $30.8K

-32.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$55.3 $55.3

-7.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$43.53 $43.53

1.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$92.3 $92.3

-5.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$139 $139

-24.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,617 $1,617

20.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,282 $1,282

2.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,513 $2,513

45.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,161 $2,161

18.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,807 $2,807

161.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,068 $2,068

51.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$6,051 $6,051

-12.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.55

3.66%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Arlington, KY: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Arlington, KY

$1.3K 48.3% 2.6% $34

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Arlington, KY

$417 15.7% 2.8% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Arlington, KY

$380 14.3% 7.8% $28

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Arlington, KY

$334 12.6% 4.5% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Arlington, KY

$149 5.6% 15.1% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Arlington, KY

$71 2.7% 17.3% $15

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Arlington, KY

$20 * 0.8% 64.7% $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 $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,617 in Arlington, KY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arlington, KY pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $84.0 in Arlington, KY. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $417, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Arlington, KY

🕒 Local time

00:22 12:22 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

365,438

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Arlington, KY 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Arlington, KY

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

Austin, TX vs Arlington, KY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX and Arlington, KY differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($2,698 vs $2,653 including rent). Arlington, KY is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 14% lower in Arlington, KY. 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,617 in Arlington, KY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Austin, TX pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,653 in Arlington, KY – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Arlington, KY 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.

Expats usually find Arlington, KY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.