Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Paducah, KY: $2,059 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 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
99

Cost of Living Index in Paducah, KY
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Paducah, KY Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Paducah, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,059 in Paducah, KY.

Austin, TX $2,607
Paducah, KY $2,059

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,222 in Paducah, KY.

Austin, TX $4,031
Paducah, KY $3,222

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,385 in Paducah, KY.

Austin, TX $5,454
Paducah, KY $4,385

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 27% more expensive than in Paducah, KY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Paducah, KY 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$18.34 $18.34

10.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$78.1 $78.1

8.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$8.46 $8.46

43.26%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.26 $5.26

7.41%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.42 $2.42

52.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.74 $1.74

35.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.39 $5.39

46.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.55 $6.55

34.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.08 $1.08

5.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.63 $2.63

40.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$5.86 $5.86

-43.52%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.93 $3.93

5.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$10.26 $10.26

26.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$11.89 $11.89

16.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$14.00 $14.00

16.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.91 $5.91

-20.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.39 $2.39

-39.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$5.54 $5.54

-7.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.25 $5.25

-13.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.92 $3.92

-21.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.49 $2.49

-4.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.93 $1.93

-6.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.26 $2.26

-1.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$8.12 $8.12

22.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.26 $15.26

-1.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.99 $1.99

46.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.70 $1.70

95.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$0.99 $0.99

23.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$20.20 $20.20

100.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.43 $3.43

-18.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.58 $1.58

4.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$39.55 $39.55

-10.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.82 $0.82

15.85%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$28.7K $28.7K

19.31%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.8K $25.8K

3.80%

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

$223 $223

$241 $241

-7.49%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$56.5 $56.5

3.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$74.8 $74.8

-4.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$35.65 $35.65

48.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$8.87 $8.87

58.51%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,426 $1,426

2.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$23.9K $23.9K

-10.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$56.1 $56.1

-6.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$29.83 $29.83

43.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$71.3 $71.3

21.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$70.7 $70.7

46.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,076 $1,076

96.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$807 $807

52.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$1,919 $1,919

101.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,660 $1,660

45.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$1,383 $1,383

437.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,379 $1,379

121.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,989 $3,989

29.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.72

1.49%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Paducah, KY: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Paducah, KY

$807 39.2% 34.4% $424

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Paducah, KY

$396 19.3% 3.3% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Paducah, KY

$372 18.1% 5.6% $20

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Paducah, KY

$292 14.2% 16.1% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Paducah, KY

$103 5% 20.2% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Paducah, KY

$53 2.6% 34.2% $28

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Paducah, KY

$35 1.7% 37.1% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,076 in Paducah, KY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 30% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $78 in Paducah, KY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $396 per month, with Paducah, KY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Paducah, KY

🕒 Local time

09:12 9:12 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

25,048

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Paducah, KY 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Paducah, 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 Paducah, KY the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 30% 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 $1,076 in Paducah, KY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,059 in Paducah, KY – Paducah, KY is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Paducah, KY runs roughly 50% less than in Austin, TX. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $2,059 in Paducah, KY versus $2,607 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Paducah, KY but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Paducah, 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.

Expats usually find Paducah, 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.