Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Owensboro, KY: $1,977 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Owensboro, KY
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Owensboro, KY Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Owensboro, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$1,977

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $1,977 in Owensboro, KY.

Austin, TX $2,607
Owensboro, KY $1,977

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $2,919 in Owensboro, KY.

Austin, TX $4,031
Owensboro, KY $2,919

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $3,861 in Owensboro, KY.

Austin, TX $5,454
Owensboro, KY $3,861

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 32% more expensive than in Owensboro, KY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Owensboro, KY 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$19.39 $19.39

4.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$59.8 $59.8

41.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$9.82 $9.82

23.42%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.53 $5.53

2.17%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$1.88 $1.88

95.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.35 $1.35

74.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$3.99 $3.99

97.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$4.96 $4.96

77.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.79 $0.79

44.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.24 $3.24

13.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.28 $4.28

-22.66%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.02 $3.02

37.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$6.67 $6.67

94.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$11.01 $11.01

25.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$12.10 $12.10

35.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.34 $4.34

8.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.24 $1.24

16.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.69 $2.69

89.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.56 $3.56

26.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.27 $2.27

35.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.17 $2.17

9.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.06 $2.06

-12.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.51 $1.51

47.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$8.73 $8.73

14.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$7.85 $7.85

91.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.86 $1.86

56.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$4.94 $4.94

-32.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.02 $1.02

19.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$30.58 $30.58

32.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$5.54 $5.54

-49.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.04 $1.04

58.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$18.13 $18.13

95.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.86 $0.86

10.47%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.9K $27.9K

22.63%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.2K $27.2K

-1.58%

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

$223 $223

$172 $172

29.73%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$60.9 $60.9

-3.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$59.7 $59.7

19.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$49.91 $49.91

6.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$10.17 $10.17

64.70%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$13.19 $13.19

6.60%

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

$1,459 $1,459

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$74.5 $74.5

-29.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$43.29 $43.29

-1.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$68.0 $68.0

27.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$89.3 $89.3

16.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$844 $844

150.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$834 $834

47.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$1,441 $1,441

168.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,364 $1,364

76.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$1,744 $1,744

325.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,738 $1,738

76.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,362 $3,362

54.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.55

4.12%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Owensboro, KY: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Owensboro, KY

$834 42.2% 32.2% $396

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Owensboro, KY

$311 15.7% 24.1% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Owensboro, KY

$293 14.8% 17.1% $60

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Owensboro, KY

$294 14.9% 15.6% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Owensboro, KY

$124 6.3% 3.6% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Owensboro, KY

$76 3.9% 6% $4.9

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Owensboro, KY

$45 2.3% 19.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $844 in Owensboro, KY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 54% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $60 in Owensboro, KY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $311 per month, with Owensboro, KY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Owensboro, KY

🕒 Local time

10:11 10:11 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

55,525

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Owensboro, KY 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Owensboro, KY wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Owensboro, KY the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 54% 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 $844 in Owensboro, KY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Owensboro, KY – a meal for two runs $60 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Owensboro, KY runs roughly 25% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your 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.

Expats usually find Owensboro, KY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.