Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Lexington, KY: $2,209 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lexington, KY
Learn more

Lexington, KY Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Lexington, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,209

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,209 in Lexington, KY.

Austin, TX $2,663
Lexington, KY $2,209

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,249 in Lexington, KY.

Austin, TX $4,133
Lexington, KY $3,249

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,289 in Lexington, KY.

Austin, TX $5,603
Lexington, KY $4,289

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 21% more expensive than in Lexington, KY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Lexington, KY 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$12.82 $12.82

62.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$57.6 $57.6

46.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$8.78 $8.78

40.32%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.00 $5.00

12.60%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.48 $2.48

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.14 $2.14

16.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.05 $5.05

59.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.98 $5.98

50.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.78 $0.78

43.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.79 $2.79

34.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.10 $4.10

-20.49%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.69 $3.69

13.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.40 $10.40

24.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$10.34 $10.34

36.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$14.40 $14.40

12.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.31 $5.31

-18.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.54 $1.54

-5.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$5.52 $5.52

-18.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.37 $4.37

-0.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.24 $4.24

-39.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.21 $3.21

-26.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.15 $2.15

-17.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.13 $3.13

-29.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$8.68 $8.68

13.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$12.87 $12.87

17.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.68 $2.68

8.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.30 $4.30

-19.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.98 $0.98

52.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$30.52 $30.52

36.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$4.91 $4.91

-44.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.00 $1.00

-5.00%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

0.20%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.9K $25.9K

4.68%

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

$229 $229

$191 $191

20.15%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$105 $105

-43.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$74.9 $74.9

-6.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$38.65 $38.65

48.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$29.41 $29.41

-44.47%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$14.86 $14.86

-3.90%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$2,261 $2,261

-33.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$24.8K $24.8K

-13.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$50.9 $50.9

3.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$31.06 $31.06

41.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$118 $118

-28.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$152 $152

-32.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,141 $1,141

67.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$942 $942

35.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,028 $2,028

80.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,565 $1,565

62.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,066 $2,066

268.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,100 $2,100

50.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$3,968 $3,968

29.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.82

-0.44%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lexington, KY: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Lexington, KY

$942 42.6% 26.1% $333

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Lexington, KY

$386 17.5% 4.6% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Lexington, KY

$371 16.8% 3.5% $13

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Lexington, KY

$245 11.1% 30.9% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Lexington, KY

$158 7.2% 23.6% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Lexington, KY

$68 3.1% 20.3% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Lexington, KY

$39 * 1.8% 33% $19

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 $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,141 in Lexington, KY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 29% 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 $58.0 in Lexington, KY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $386 per month, with Lexington, KY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Lexington, KY

🕒 Local time

12:19 12:19 PM

13:19 1:19 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

322,570

💱 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 Lexington, KY 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Lexington, KY wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lexington, KY the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 29% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,141 in Lexington, KY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,209 in Lexington, KY – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lexington, KY runs roughly 37% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,209 in Lexington, KY versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lexington, KY but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Lexington, 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Lexington, KY 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 Lexington, KY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.