Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Hays, KS

For one person, living is cheaper in Hays, KS: $1,737 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 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
85

Cost of Living Index in Hays, KS
Learn more

Hays, KS Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Hays, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,737

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Hays, KS

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 Hays, KS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $1,737 in Hays, KS.

Austin, TX $2,698
Hays, KS $1,737

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $2,467 in Hays, KS.

Austin, TX $4,160
Hays, KS $2,467

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $3,198 in Hays, KS.

Austin, TX $5,622
Hays, KS $3,198

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 55% more expensive than in Hays, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Hays, KS 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$13.33 $13.33

54.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$43.87 $43.87

92.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$8.11 $8.11

48.83%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$3.98 $3.98

37.69%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.39 $2.39

59.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.02 $1.02

142.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.85 $3.85

109.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$4.33 $4.33

105.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.76 $0.76

46.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.26 $2.26

64.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.46 $4.46

-24.44%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$2.06 $2.06

109.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$4.46 $4.46

194.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$8.93 $8.93

58.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$13.33 $13.33

22.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$6.04 $6.04

-24.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.64 $1.64

-10.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$5.06 $5.06

-6.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.42 $4.42

-6.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.93 $2.93

-11.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.17 $2.17

8.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.97 $1.97

-10.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.03 $2.03

5.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$9.68 $9.68

4.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$12.15 $12.15

25.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.23 $2.23

26.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.85 $3.85

-10.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.01 $2.01

-23.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.43 $2.43

15.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.57 $1.57

1.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$39.71 $39.71

-13.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.92 $0.92

2.17%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$28.1K $28.1K

21.03%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

3.14%

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

$223 $223

$269 $269

-17.13%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$34.85 $34.85

69.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$68.8 $68.8

2.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$45.17 $45.17

27.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$15.21 $15.21

-6.25%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$922 $922

63.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$15.7K $15.7K

32.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$23.68 $23.68

116.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$31.82 $31.82

38.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$110 $110

-20.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$138 $138

-24.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$793 $793

144.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$589 $589

123.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,034 $1,034

254.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$895 $895

186.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,386 $2,386

208.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,615 $2,615

19.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$2,386 $2,386

121.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.65

2.11%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Hays, KS: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Hays, KS

$589 33.9% 55.3% $727

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Hays, KS

$325 18.7% 19.9% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Hays, KS

$372 21.4% 5.7% $20

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Hays, KS

$220 12.7% 37.1% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Hays, KS

$136 7.9% 5.7% $7.3

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Hays, KS

$76 4.4% 12.3% $11

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Hays, KS

$18 * 1.1% 68.4% $40

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 $793 in Hays, KS. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 122% 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 $44.00 in Hays, KS for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $325 per month, with Hays, KS cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Hays, KS

🕒 Local time

00:22 12:22 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

19,726

💱 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 Hays, KS 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Hays, KS

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 Hays, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hays, KS wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hays, KS the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 122% 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 $793 in Hays, KS. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $922 in Hays, KS. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hays, KS – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,737 in Hays, KS versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hays, KS but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Hays, KS 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, Austin, TX and Hays, KS 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 Hays, KS gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.