Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kansas City, KS

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,714 in Kansas City, KS, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Kansas City, KS
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Kansas City, KS Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Kansas City, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,714

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,714 in Kansas City, KS.

Austin, TX $2,607
Kansas City, KS $2,714

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,099 in Kansas City, KS.

Austin, TX $4,031
Kansas City, KS $4,099

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,484 in Kansas City, KS.

Austin, TX $5,454
Kansas City, KS $5,484

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 4% less than in Kansas City, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Kansas City, KS 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$23.70 $23.70

-14.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$81.6 $81.6

3.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$12.58 $12.58

-3.66%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$6.09 $6.09

-7.22%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$3.05 $3.05

20.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.44 $2.44

-3.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.13 $5.13

53.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$8.86 $8.86

-0.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.07 $1.07

6.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.37 $3.37

9.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$5.27 $5.27

-37.19%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.57 $4.57

-9.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$13.97 $13.97

-7.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$9.50 $9.50

45.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$13.57 $13.57

20.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.19 $4.19

11.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.10 $2.10

-30.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$5.89 $5.89

-13.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.45 $5.45

-17.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.57 $3.57

-13.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.78 $3.78

-37.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.39 $2.39

-24.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.18 $2.18

1.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$8.78 $8.78

13.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$16.84 $16.84

-10.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.81 $1.81

60.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.97 $3.97

-16.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.53 $1.53

-20.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$55.2 $55.2

-26.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$4.93 $4.93

-43.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.28 $1.28

28.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$41.28 $41.28

-14.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.02 $1.02

-6.86%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.3K $27.3K

25.13%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.69%

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

$223 $223

$198 $198

12.42%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$53.0 $53.0

10.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$64.3 $64.3

10.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$113 $113

-53.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$64.7 $64.7

-74.10%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$15.24 $15.24

-7.74%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$445 $445

227.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

0.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$59.8 $59.8

-12.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$43.22 $43.22

-1.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$104 $104

-16.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$146 $146

-28.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,498 $1,498

40.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,255 $1,255

-1.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,794 $2,794

38.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,191 $2,191

9.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,078 $2,078

257.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,167 $2,167

41.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,207 $3,207

61.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.56

3.96%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kansas City, KS: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Kansas City, KS

$1.3K 46.2% 2% $25

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Kansas City, KS

$403 14.8% 1.7% $6.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Kansas City, KS

$316 11.6% 10.5% $37

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Kansas City, KS

$366 13.5% 5.1% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Kansas City, KS

$159 5.8% 23.4% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Kansas City, KS

$144 5.3% 77.1% $63

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Kansas City, KS

$73 2.7% 28.7% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,498 in Kansas City, KS. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 61% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $82 in Kansas City, KS for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $403 per month, with Kansas City, KS cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Kansas City, KS

🕒 Local time

22:10 10:10 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

463,202

💱 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 Kansas City, KS 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kansas City, 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 Kansas City, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Kansas City, KS. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 61% 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 $1,498 in Kansas City, KS. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $445 in Kansas City, KS. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kansas City, KS – a meal for two runs $82 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX 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.