Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Bowling Green, KY

For one person, living is cheaper in Bowling Green, KY: $1,945 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Bowling Green, KY
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Bowling Green, KY Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Bowling Green, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$1,945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $1,945 in Bowling Green, KY.

Austin, TX $2,607
Bowling Green, KY $1,945

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $2,878 in Bowling Green, KY.

Austin, TX $4,031
Bowling Green, KY $2,878

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $3,811 in Bowling Green, KY.

Austin, TX $5,454
Bowling Green, KY $3,811

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 34% more expensive than in Bowling Green, KY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Bowling Green, KY 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$13.26 $13.26

53.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$55.2 $55.2

53.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$9.15 $9.15

32.46%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.87 $4.87

16.02%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.48 $2.48

48.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.06 $2.06

14.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$3.90 $3.90

101.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$5.13 $5.13

71.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.79 $0.79

44.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.22 $2.22

66.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.20 $2.20

50.45%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$2.64 $2.64

57.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$10.06 $10.06

29.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$10.25 $10.25

35.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$12.63 $12.63

29.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.72 $4.72

-0.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.20 $1.20

20.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.62 $2.62

95.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.69 $3.69

22.49%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.71 $1.71

80.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.45 $2.45

-2.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.81 $1.81

-0.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.26 $1.26

76.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.18 $9.18

8.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$12.79 $12.79

17.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.66 $1.66

75.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.54 $1.54

116.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.03 $2.03

-39.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$39.72 $39.72

2.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$7.48 $7.48

-62.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.58 $1.58

4.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$24.80 $24.80

42.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.94 $0.94

1.06%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.6K $27.6K

23.96%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.47%

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

$223 $223

$149 $149

49.79%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$45.05 $45.05

29.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$68.8 $68.8

3.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$25.39 $25.39

108.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$11.96 $11.96

40.05%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$14.98 $14.98

-6.14%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$2,283 $2,283

-36.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$25.3K $25.3K

-15.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$51.6 $51.6

1.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$31.20 $31.20

37.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$102 $102

-14.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$152 $152

-31.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$966 $966

118.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$875 $875

40.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$1,583 $1,583

143.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,472 $1,472

63.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,177 $2,177

241.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,820 $1,820

68.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,057 $3,057

69.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.66

2.40%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bowling Green, KY: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Bowling Green, KY

$875 45% 28.9% $355

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Bowling Green, KY

$298 15.3% 27.3% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Bowling Green, KY

$263 13.5% 25.5% $90

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Bowling Green, KY

$240 12.3% 31.1% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Bowling Green, KY

$151 7.8% 17.8% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Bowling Green, KY

$55 2.9% 31.8% $26

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Bowling Green, KY

$63 3.3% 11.9% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $966 in Bowling Green, KY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 69% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $55 in Bowling Green, KY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $298 per month, with Bowling Green, KY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Bowling Green, KY

🕒 Local time

14:02 2:02 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

53,176

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Bowling Green, KY 1,280 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Bowling Green, 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 Bowling Green, KY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bowling Green, KY wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bowling Green, KY the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 69% higher in Austin, TX, 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $966 in Bowling Green, KY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $2,283 in Bowling Green, KY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bowling Green, KY – a meal for two runs $55 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 – Bowling Green, KY wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.