Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Elizabethtown, KY: $2,031 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Elizabethtown, KY
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Elizabethtown, KY Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Elizabethtown, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,031

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,031 in Elizabethtown, KY.

Austin, TX $2,698
Elizabethtown, KY $2,031

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $2,927 in Elizabethtown, KY.

Austin, TX $4,160
Elizabethtown, KY $2,927

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $3,823 in Elizabethtown, KY.

Austin, TX $5,622
Elizabethtown, KY $3,823

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 33% more expensive than in Elizabethtown, KY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Elizabethtown, KY 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$15.18 $15.18

35.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$49.75 $49.75

69.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.17 $10.17

18.68%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.03 $5.03

8.95%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.18 $2.18

74.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.65 $1.65

49.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.48 $5.48

46.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.39 $7.39

20.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.81 $0.81

37.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.14 $2.14

73.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.01 $2.01

67.66%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$2.85 $2.85

51.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$12.58 $12.58

4.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.12 $11.12

27.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$15.87 $15.87

2.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.70 $5.70

-20.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.60 $1.60

-8.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.44 $4.44

6.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.81 $4.81

-13.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.63 $2.63

-1.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.25 $3.25

-27.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.09 $2.09

-15.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.90 $1.90

12.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$6.05 $6.05

66.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.24 $15.24

-0.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.08 $2.08

35.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.98 $2.98

15.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.80 $3.80

-26.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.25 $1.25

28.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$25.34 $25.34

35.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.87 $0.87

8.05%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$36.5K $36.5K

-6.83%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$24.6K $24.6K

8.88%

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

$223 $223

$152 $152

46.81%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$75.6 $75.6

-22.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$72.2 $72.2

-2.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$11.12 $11.12

28.24%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,443 $1,443

4.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$19.6K $19.6K

6.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$46.09 $46.09

11.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$39.26 $39.26

12.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$85.4 $85.4

1.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$84.2 $84.2

23.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,207 $1,207

60.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$953 $953

38.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,875 $1,875

95.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,505 $1,505

70.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$1,784 $1,784

312.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,733 $1,733

80.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,345 $3,345

58.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.59

3.03%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Elizabethtown, 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%

Elizabethtown, KY

$953 46.9% 27.6% $364

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Elizabethtown, KY

$362 17.8% 10.8% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Elizabethtown, KY

$299 14.7% 15% $53

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Elizabethtown, KY

$270 13.3% 22.9% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Elizabethtown, KY

$115 5.7% 11.1% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Elizabethtown, KY

$22 * 1.1% 74.2% $64

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Elizabethtown, KY

$10 * 0.5% 82.6% $48

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 $1,207 in Elizabethtown, KY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 58% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $50.0 in Elizabethtown, KY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $362 per month, with Elizabethtown, KY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Elizabethtown, KY

🕒 Local time

19:38 7:38 PM

20:38 8:38 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

23,406

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Elizabethtown, KY 1,370 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Elizabethtown, KY wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Elizabethtown, KY the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 58% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,207 in Elizabethtown, KY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,443 in Elizabethtown, KY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Elizabethtown, KY – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,031 in Elizabethtown, KY versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Elizabethtown, KY but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Elizabethtown, KY 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.

Expats usually find Elizabethtown, KY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.