Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Manhattan, KS: $2,239 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Manhattan, KS
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Manhattan, KS Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Manhattan, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,239

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $2,239 in Manhattan, KS.

Austin, TX $2,689
Manhattan, KS $2,239

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $3,235 in Manhattan, KS.

Austin, TX $4,112
Manhattan, KS $3,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $4,230 in Manhattan, KS.

Austin, TX $5,534
Manhattan, KS $4,230

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Manhattan, KS 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$14.74 $14.74

44.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$78.5 $78.5

12.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$12.14 $12.14

2.47%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.59 $5.59

0.18%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$2.05 $2.05

78.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.52 $1.52

57.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$5.15 $5.15

51.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$8.92 $8.92

-1.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.96 $0.96

16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.26 $3.26

11.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$6.18 $6.18

-43.37%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$4.70 $4.70

-5.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$11.74 $11.74

12.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$8.52 $8.52

63.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$14.84 $14.84

10.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$6.93 $6.93

-31.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$2.14 $2.14

-29.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$5.84 $5.84

-20.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.18 $4.18

8.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.41 $3.41

-25.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$3.66 $3.66

-34.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.90 $1.90

-3.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.55 $2.55

-16.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$8.84 $8.84

13.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$16.91 $16.91

-12.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.68 $1.68

67.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.46 $2.46

33.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$59.1 $59.1

-29.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$5.08 $5.08

-47.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.90 $1.90

-14.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$34.83 $34.83

1.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.96 $0.96

2.08%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$27.8K $27.8K

23.81%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.3K $26.3K

2.04%

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

$252 $252

$144 $144

75.16%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$47.02 $47.02

27.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$65.7 $65.7

6.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$74.6 $74.6

-19.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$14.91 $14.91

-7.78%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$838 $838

74.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$9,060 $9,060

193.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$47.08 $47.08

11.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$35.70 $35.70

28.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$89.8 $89.8

-4.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$117 $117

-9.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$919 $919

138.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$992 $992

27.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$1,459 $1,459

174.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$1,409 $1,409

70.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$1,518 $1,518

386.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$1,491 $1,491

98.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$3,503 $3,503

43.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.33

7.74%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Manhattan, KS: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Manhattan, KS

$992 44.3% 21.8% $277

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Manhattan, KS

$403 18% 1.1% $4.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Manhattan, KS

$257 11.5% 32.7% $125

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Manhattan, KS

$279 12.5% 21.6% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Manhattan, KS

$130 5.8% 0% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Manhattan, KS

$104 4.7% 18.9% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Manhattan, KS

$74 * 3.3% 28.8% $16

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 $2,195 in Austin, TX and $919 in Manhattan, KS. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 44% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $78 in Manhattan, KS for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $403 per month, with Manhattan, KS cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Manhattan, KS

🕒 Local time

14:54 2:54 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,694,251

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Manhattan, KS 1,000 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Manhattan, KS wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Manhattan, KS the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 44% 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: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $919 in Manhattan, KS. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,458 in Austin, TX versus $838 in Manhattan, KS. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Manhattan, KS – a meal for two runs $78 versus $88 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,239 in Manhattan, KS versus $2,689 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Manhattan, KS but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Manhattan, 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.

It comes down to priorities – Manhattan, KS wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.