Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Emporia, KS: $1,558 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Emporia, KS
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Emporia, KS Living Index
129

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

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Emporia, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,558

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Emporia, KS and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Emporia, KS and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,558 in Emporia, KS versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Emporia, KS $1,558
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,497 in Emporia, KS versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Emporia, KS $2,497
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,435 in Emporia, KS versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Emporia, KS $3,435
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Emporia, KS costs roughly 42% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Emporia, KS 15% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.83 $15.83

$20.63 $20.63

-23.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.6 $75.6

$84.6 $84.6

-10.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.90 $11.90

$12.07 $12.07

-1.41%

Cappuccino

$4.45 $4.45

$5.48 $5.48

-18.80%

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

$2.33 $2.33

$3.80 $3.80

-38.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.47 $2.47

-31.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 $5.05

$8.05 $8.05

-37.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 $6.06

$8.88 $8.88

-31.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.11 $1.11

-20.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 $3.30

$3.72 $3.72

-11.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 $1.92

$3.37 $3.37

-43.03%

Eggs

$2.85 $2.85

$4.32 $4.32

-34.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.30 $8.30

$13.13 $13.13

-36.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.45 $8.45

$14.15 $14.15

-40.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$16.33 $16.33

-11.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$4.55 $4.55

9.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.46 $1.46

-17.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$4.71 $4.71

-39.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$4.15 $4.15

-32.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.58 $2.58

-36.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.35 $2.35

17.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.77 $1.77

6.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.14 $2.14

8.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.13 $9.13

$10.10 $10.10

-9.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.49 $9.49

$15.19 $15.19

-37.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.82 $2.82

-34.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$3.44 $3.44

-25.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 $4.91

$2.80 $2.80

75.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.60 $1.60

13.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.41 $34.41

$34.34 $34.34

0.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$0.94 $0.94

-5.32%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$34.0K $34.0K

-18.92%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.8K $26.8K

-3.56%

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

$144 $144

$223 $223

-35.16%

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

$46.93 $46.93

$58.9 $58.9

-20.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.14 $49.14

$70.6 $70.6

-30.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.39 $44.39

$57.7 $57.7

-23.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$12.43 $12.43

$14.26 $14.26

-12.83%

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

$824 $824

$1,511 $1,511

-45.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.75 $48.75

$51.3 $51.3

-4.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.34 $25.34

$44.17 $44.17

-42.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 $89.5

$87.0 $87.0

2.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.4 $83.4

$104 $104

-20.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$685 $685

$1,940 $1,940

-64.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 $546

$1,316 $1,316

-58.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,752 $1,752

$3,664 $3,664

-52.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 $1,108

$2,565 $2,565

-56.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,251 $1,251

$7,354 $7,354

-82.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,246 $1,246

$3,129 $3,129

-60.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,551 $5,551

$5,286 $5,286

5.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

6.79

-6.19%

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

Last update for Emporia, KS: October 18, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Emporia, KS

$546 35%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 141% $771

Groceries & Markets

Emporia, KS

$308 19.8%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 31.8% $98

Eating Out

Emporia, KS

$269 17.3%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 30% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Emporia, KS

$240 15.4%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 46.5% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Emporia, KS

$111 7.1%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 16.1% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Emporia, KS

$69 4.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 24.5% $17

Getting Around

Emporia, KS

$14 * 0.9%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 313% $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 $685 in Emporia, KS and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Emporia, KS pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $76.0 in Emporia, KS vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $308 vs $406 per month, with Emporia, KS cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Emporia, KS

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

01:02 1:02 AM

Same time as Emporia, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,188

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Emporia, KS Austin, TX 920 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Emporia, KS
Austin, TX

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

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

Emporia, KS wins on cost – living expenses run 73% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Emporia, KS the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Emporia, KS, 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: $685 in Emporia, KS versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $824 in Emporia, KS versus $1,511 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Emporia, KS – a meal for two runs $76.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,558 in Emporia, KS versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Emporia, KS but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Emporia, 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.

Expats usually find Emporia, KS gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.