Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Louisville, KY: $2,241 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 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
108

Cost of Living Index in Louisville, KY
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Louisville, KY Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Louisville, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,241

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,241 in Louisville, KY.

Austin, TX $2,698
Louisville, KY $2,241

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,445 in Louisville, KY.

Austin, TX $4,160
Louisville, KY $3,445

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,648 in Louisville, KY.

Austin, TX $5,622
Louisville, KY $4,648

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 20% more expensive than in Louisville, KY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Louisville, KY 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$14.79 $14.79

39.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$71.4 $71.4

18.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$9.66 $9.66

24.95%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.18 $5.18

5.79%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.19 $2.19

73.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.59 $1.59

55.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.93 $5.93

35.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.05 $7.05

25.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.75 $0.75

48.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.31 $3.31

12.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$5.13 $5.13

-34.31%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.60 $3.60

20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$15.38 $15.38

-14.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$12.10 $12.10

16.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.37 $5.37

-15.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.60 $1.60

-8.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.54 $4.54

3.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.54 $4.54

-8.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.78 $2.78

-7.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.01 $3.01

-21.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.26 $2.26

-21.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.36 $2.36

-9.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$9.24 $9.24

9.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.82 $15.82

-3.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.76 $2.76

2.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.95 $3.95

-12.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.70 $1.70

-9.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$50.6 $50.6

-18.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.78 $2.78

0.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.41 $1.41

13.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$30.34 $30.34

13.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.95 $0.95

-1.05%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$33.9K $33.9K

0.17%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.7K $26.7K

0.38%

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

$223 $223

$180 $180

23.72%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$60.2 $60.2

-2.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$68.1 $68.1

3.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$20.34 $20.34

183.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$2.45 $2.45

574.69%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$11.13 $11.13

28.12%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,268 $1,268

19.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$16.3K $16.3K

28.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$49.73 $49.73

3.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$41.18 $41.18

7.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$97.7 $97.7

-10.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$111 $111

-5.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,582 $1,582

22.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,006 $1,006

30.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,971 $1,971

85.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,923 $1,923

33.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,682 $2,682

174.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,779 $1,779

75.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,973 $3,973

33.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.57

3.35%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Louisville, KY: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Louisville, KY

$1K 44.9% 23.5% $310

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Louisville, KY

$414 18.5% 1.9% $7.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Louisville, KY

$308 13.8% 12.5% $44

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Louisville, KY

$268 12% 23.4% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Louisville, KY

$135 6% 4.4% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Louisville, KY

$43 1.9% 50.6% $44

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Louisville, KY

$67 3% 16.1% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,582 in Louisville, KY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 33% 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 $71.0 in Louisville, KY. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $414, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Louisville, KY

🕒 Local time

03:47 3:47 AM

04:47 4:47 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

612,780

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Louisville, KY 1,410 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Louisville, KY wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Louisville, KY the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 33% 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 $1,582 in Louisville, KY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,241 in Louisville, KY – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Louisville, KY runs roughly 23% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Louisville, KY is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Louisville, KY delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,241 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Louisville, KY hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Louisville, KY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.