Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Kansas City, MO: $2,442 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
117

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

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Kansas City, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,442

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Kansas City, MO

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,442 in Kansas City, MO.

Austin, TX $2,607
Kansas City, MO $2,442

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,599 in Kansas City, MO.

Austin, TX $4,031
Kansas City, MO $3,599

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,756 in Kansas City, MO.

Austin, TX $5,454
Kansas City, MO $4,756

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 7% more expensive than in Kansas City, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Kansas City, MO 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$25.16 $25.16

-19.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$80.5 $80.5

5.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$12.48 $12.48

-2.88%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.98 $5.98

-5.52%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$3.19 $3.19

15.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.46 $2.46

-4.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.96 $6.96

13.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.61 $7.61

15.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.16 $1.16

-1.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.37 $3.37

9.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$5.16 $5.16

-35.85%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.21 $4.21

-1.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$14.38 $14.38

-9.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$9.82 $9.82

41.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$13.71 $13.71

19.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.49 $4.49

4.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.62 $1.62

-10.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.43 $4.43

15.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.52 $5.52

-18.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.21 $3.21

-4.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.31 $3.31

-28.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.28 $2.28

-21.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.10 $2.10

5.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$7.93 $7.93

25.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.03 $15.03

0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.93 $1.93

50.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.95 $3.95

-15.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.48 $2.48

12.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.21 $1.21

36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$59.7 $59.7

-40.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.99 $0.99

-4.04%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$34.4K $34.4K

-0.49%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.2K $26.2K

2.26%

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

$223 $223

$199 $199

12.32%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$66.6 $66.6

-12.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$72.5 $72.5

-1.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$44.00 $44.00

20.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$32.05 $32.05

-47.74%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$15.17 $15.17

-7.32%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,136 $1,136

28.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$21.0K $21.0K

1.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$61.7 $61.7

-14.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$43.49 $43.49

-1.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$103 $103

-16.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$147 $147

-29.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,250 $1,250

68.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,087 $1,087

13.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,468 $2,468

56.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,724 $1,724

39.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,584 $2,584

187.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,837 $1,837

66.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,939 $3,939

31.50%

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, MO: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Kansas City, MO

$1.1K 44.5% 11.7% $144

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Kansas City, MO

$392 16.1% 4.3% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Kansas City, MO

$338 13.8% 4.3% $15

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Kansas City, MO

$383 15.7% 10.1% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Kansas City, MO

$160 6.6% 24.5% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Kansas City, MO

$74 3% 8.4% $6.8

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Kansas City, MO

$8.5 * 0.4% 84.9% $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 $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,250 in Kansas City, MO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 32% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $81 in Kansas City, MO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $392 per month, with Kansas City, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Kansas City, MO

🕒 Local time

14:59 2:59 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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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Kansas City, MO 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kansas City, MO

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, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kansas City, MO wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kansas City, MO the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 32% 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 $1,250 in Kansas City, MO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,136 in Kansas City, MO. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kansas City, MO – a meal for two runs $81 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Kansas City, MO gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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