Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Pikeville, KY: $2,353 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 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
121

Cost of Living Index in Pikeville, KY
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Pikeville, KY Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Pikeville, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,353

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,353 in Pikeville, KY.

Austin, TX $2,698
Pikeville, KY $2,353

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,491 in Pikeville, KY.

Austin, TX $4,160
Pikeville, KY $3,491

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,629 in Pikeville, KY.

Austin, TX $5,622
Pikeville, KY $4,629

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 15% more expensive than in Pikeville, KY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Pikeville, KY 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$14.76 $14.76

39.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$72.1 $72.1

17.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$9.59 $9.59

25.86%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.12 $5.12

7.03%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.27 $2.27

67.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.58 $1.58

56.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.02 $6.02

33.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$6.98 $6.98

27.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.72 $0.72

54.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.26 $3.26

14.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$5.10 $5.10

-33.92%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.68 $3.68

17.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$15.88 $15.88

-17.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$12.17 $12.17

16.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$16.13 $16.13

1.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.45 $5.45

-16.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.62 $1.62

-9.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.55 $4.55

3.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.60 $4.60

-9.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.82 $2.82

-8.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.98 $2.98

-21.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.25 $2.25

-21.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.29 $2.29

-6.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$9.23 $9.23

9.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.73 $15.73

-3.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.80 $2.80

0.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.97 $3.97

-13.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.94 $1.94

-20.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.42 $1.42

12.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$30.42 $30.42

12.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.01 $1.01

-6.93%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$33.5K $33.5K

1.47%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.03%

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

$223 $223

$179 $179

24.71%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$58.6 $58.6

0.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$66.6 $66.6

5.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$42.41 $42.41

36.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$11.16 $11.16

27.78%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,255 $1,255

20.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$16.1K $16.1K

29.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$50.2 $50.2

2.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$41.62 $41.62

6.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$96.9 $96.9

-10.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$111 $111

-5.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,548 $1,548

25.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,150 $1,150

14.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,812 $2,812

30.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,963 $1,963

30.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$3,052 $3,052

140.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,572 $2,572

21.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

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 Pikeville, KY: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Pikeville, KY

$1.1K 48.9% 12.6% $166

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Pikeville, KY

$414 17.6% 2% $8.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Pikeville, KY

$304 12.9% 13.8% $48

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Pikeville, KY

$268 11.4% 23.5% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Pikeville, KY

$135 5.7% 4.4% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Pikeville, KY

$65 2.8% 24.9% $21

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Pikeville, KY

$18 * 0.8% 69.5% $40

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 $1,548 in Pikeville, KY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $72.0 in Pikeville, KY. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $414, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Pikeville, KY

🕒 Local time

05:20 5:20 AM

06:20 6:20 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

6,700

💱 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 Pikeville, KY 1,620 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Pikeville, KY wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pikeville, KY the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $3,529 in Pikeville, KY to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,548 in Pikeville, KY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,255 in Pikeville, KY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Pikeville, KY – a meal for two runs $72.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Pikeville, KY is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Pikeville, KY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.