Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kansas City, KS and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Kansas City, KS and in Austin, TX: $2,714 and $2,607 a month, rent and utilities included.

130

Cost of Living Index in Kansas City, KS
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Kansas City, KS Living Index
125

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

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Kansas City, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,714

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,714 in Kansas City, KS versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Kansas City, KS $2,714
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,099 in Kansas City, KS versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Kansas City, KS $4,099
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,484 in Kansas City, KS versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Kansas City, KS $5,484
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Kansas City, KS is roughly 4% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kansas City, KS 99% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.70 $23.70

$20.35 $20.35

16.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.6 $81.6

$84.7 $84.7

-3.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.58 $12.58

$12.12 $12.12

3.80%

Cappuccino

$6.09 $6.09

$5.65 $5.65

7.79%

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

$3.05 $3.05

$3.68 $3.68

-17.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.36 $2.36

3.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.13 $5.13

$7.87 $7.87

-34.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.86 $8.86

$8.82 $8.82

0.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.14 $1.14

-6.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.69 $3.69

-8.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.27 $5.27

$3.31 $3.31

59.21%

Eggs

$4.57 $4.57

$4.15 $4.15

10.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.97 $13.97

$12.98 $12.98

7.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 $9.50

$13.86 $13.86

-31.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.57 $13.57

$16.34 $16.34

-16.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.69 $4.69

-10.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.45 $1.45

44.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.89 $5.89

$5.11 $5.11

15.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$4.52 $4.52

20.58%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.08 $3.08

15.91%

Onion (1kg)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.38 $2.38

58.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.80 $1.80

32.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.22 $2.22

-1.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.78 $8.78

$9.97 $9.97

-11.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.84 $16.84

$15.05 $15.05

11.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.91 $2.91

-37.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 $3.97

$3.33 $3.33

19.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.22 $1.22

25.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.2 $55.2

$40.53 $40.53

36.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.93 $4.93

$2.78 $2.78

77.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.65 $1.65

-22.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.28 $41.28

$35.39 $35.39

16.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.95 $0.95

7.37%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$34.2K $34.2K

-20.08%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.8K $26.8K

-1.66%

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

$198 $198

$223 $223

-11.05%

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

$53.0 $53.0

$58.5 $58.5

-9.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.3 $64.3

$71.2 $71.2

-9.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$113 $113

$53.0 $53.0

113.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$64.7 $64.7

$16.75 $16.75

286.03%

Cinema Ticket

$15.24 $15.24

$14.06 $14.06

8.39%

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

$445 $445

$1,459 $1,459

-69.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

-0.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 $59.8

$52.5 $52.5

13.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.22 $43.22

$42.75 $42.75

1.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$86.4 $86.4

19.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 $146

$104 $104

40.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,498 $1,498

$2,112 $2,112

-29.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 $1,255

$1,230 $1,230

2.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 $2,794

$3,863 $3,863

-27.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,191 $2,191

$2,407 $2,407

-8.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,078 $2,078

$7,426 $7,426

-72.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,167 $2,167

$3,060 $3,060

-29.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,207 $3,207

$5,179 $5,179

-38.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

6.82

-3.81%

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

Last update for Kansas City, KS: October 26, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kansas City, KS

$1.3K 46.2%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 2% $25

Groceries & Markets

Kansas City, KS

$403 14.8%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 1.7% $6.9

Eating Out

Kansas City, KS

$366 13.5%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 4.8% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kansas City, KS

$316 11.6%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 11.8% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Kansas City, KS

$159 5.8%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 19% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Kansas City, KS

$144 5.3%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 43.5% $63

Getting Around

Kansas City, KS

$73 2.7%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 22.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,498 in Kansas City, KS and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 61% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $82 in Kansas City, KS vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $410 per month, with Kansas City, KS cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Kansas City, KS

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

06:44 6:44 AM

Same time as Kansas City, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

463,202

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Kansas City, KS Austin, TX 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kansas City, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Kansas City, KS. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Kansas City, KS. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,498 in Kansas City, KS versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $445 in Kansas City, KS versus $1,459 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 Kansas City, KS – a meal for two runs $82 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX 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.