Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Olathe, KS: $2,012 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Olathe, KS
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Olathe, KS Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Olathe, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,012

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,012 in Olathe, KS.

Austin, TX $2,698
Olathe, KS $2,012

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,061 in Olathe, KS.

Austin, TX $4,160
Olathe, KS $3,061

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,111 in Olathe, KS.

Austin, TX $5,622
Olathe, KS $4,111

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 34% more expensive than in Olathe, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Olathe, KS 48% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$9.96 $9.96

107.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$59.7 $59.7

41.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$9.35 $9.35

29.09%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$3.53 $3.53

55.24%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$1.02 $1.02

272.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.71 $1.71

44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.14 $5.14

56.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$9.10 $9.10

-2.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.90 $0.90

23.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.10 $2.10

77.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.28 $3.28

2.74%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.49 $3.49

23.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$9.53 $9.53

37.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$8.29 $8.29

70.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$13.46 $13.46

21.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.28 $4.28

6.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.58 $1.58

-7.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.51 $2.51

87.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.70 $3.70

12.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.42 $2.42

6.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.01 $3.01

-21.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.82 $1.82

-2.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.82 $1.82

17.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$8.76 $8.76

15.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$10.17 $10.17

49.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.86 $1.86

51.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.60 $1.60

115.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$4.88 $4.88

-42.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.80 $1.80

-11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$34.54 $34.54

-0.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.86 $0.86

9.30%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$20.0K $20.0K

70.03%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$23.1K $23.1K

16.08%

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

$223 $223

$142 $142

56.59%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$48.28 $48.28

22.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$52.7 $52.7

33.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$55.9 $55.9

3.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$12.08 $12.08

18.05%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$806 $806

87.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$39.56 $39.56

29.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$30.35 $30.35

45.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$88.2 $88.2

-1.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$116 $116

-10.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,062 $1,062

82.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,044 $1,044

26.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,691 $1,691

116.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,957 $1,957

31.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$863 $863

262.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$5,055 $5,055

4.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.79

17.27%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Olathe, KS: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Olathe, KS

$1K 51.9% 20.7% $272

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Olathe, KS

$302 15% 25.6% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Olathe, KS

$243 12.1% 30.9% $109

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Olathe, KS

$205 10.2% 41.5% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Olathe, KS

$123 6.1% 4.4% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Olathe, KS

$80 4% 7.1% $6.1

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Olathe, KS

$14 * 0.7% 76% $44

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 $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,062 in Olathe, KS. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 5% 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 $60.0 in Olathe, KS for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $302 per month, with Olathe, KS cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Olathe, KS

🕒 Local time

04:51 4:51 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

135,473

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Olathe, KS 990 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Olathe, KS wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Olathe, KS the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 5% 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 $1,062 in Olathe, KS. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $806 in Olathe, KS. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Olathe, KS – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,012 in Olathe, KS versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Olathe, KS but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Olathe, 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Olathe, KS 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 Olathe, KS gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.