Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Lexington, KY: $2,209 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lexington, KY
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Lexington, KY Living Index
130

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

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Lexington, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,209

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,209 in Lexington, KY versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Lexington, KY $2,209
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,249 in Lexington, KY versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Lexington, KY $3,249
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,289 in Lexington, KY versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Lexington, KY $4,289
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Lexington, KY costs roughly 17% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lexington, KY 64% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.82 $12.82

$20.77 $20.77

-38.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.6 $57.6

$84.6 $84.6

-31.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.78 $8.78

$12.32 $12.32

-28.73%

Cappuccino

$5.00 $5.00

$5.63 $5.63

-11.19%

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

$2.48 $2.48

$3.72 $3.72

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.50 $2.50

-14.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 $5.05

$8.05 $8.05

-37.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 $5.98

$9.01 $9.01

-33.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.12 $1.12

-30.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.75 $3.75

-25.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$3.26 $3.26

25.77%

Eggs

$3.69 $3.69

$4.17 $4.17

-11.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 $10.40

$12.90 $12.90

-19.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 $10.34

$14.16 $14.16

-26.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$16.22 $16.22

-11.22%

Apples (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$4.33 $4.33

22.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.46 $1.46

5.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$4.51 $4.51

22.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$4.34 $4.34

0.69%

Potato (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$2.58 $2.58

64.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.35 $2.35

36.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.78 $1.78

20.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.22 $2.22

40.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.68 $8.68

$9.88 $9.88

-12.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 $12.87

$15.08 $15.08

-14.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.92 $2.92

-8.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$3.46 $3.46

24.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.49 $1.49

-34.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 $30.52

$41.72 $41.72

-26.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 $4.91

$2.73 $2.73

79.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$0.95 $0.95

5.26%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

-0.20%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$27.1K $27.1K

-4.47%

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

$191 $191

$229 $229

-16.77%

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

$105 $105

$59.4 $59.4

77.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.9 $74.9

$69.9 $69.9

7.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.65 $38.65

$57.2 $57.2

-32.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.41 $29.41

$16.33 $16.33

80.10%

Cinema Ticket

$14.86 $14.86

$14.28 $14.28

4.06%

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

$2,261 $2,261

$1,506 $1,506

50.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.8K $24.8K

$21.5K $21.5K

15.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 $50.9

$52.8 $52.8

-3.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.06 $31.06

$43.82 $43.82

-29.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 $118

$84.8 $84.8

38.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 $152

$103 $103

47.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 $1,141

$1,907 $1,907

-40.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 $942

$1,274 $1,274

-26.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 $2,028

$3,664 $3,664

-44.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 $1,565

$2,538 $2,538

-38.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,066 $2,066

$7,614 $7,614

-72.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,100 $2,100

$3,157 $3,157

-33.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,968 $3,968

$5,121 $5,121

-22.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.79

0.44%

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

Last update for Lexington, KY: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lexington, KY

$942 42.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 35.3% $333

Groceries & Markets

Lexington, KY

$386 17.5%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 4.9% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lexington, KY

$371 16.8%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 3.4% $13

Eating Out

Lexington, KY

$245 11.1%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 44.7% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Lexington, KY

$158 7.2%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 19.1% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Lexington, KY

$68 3.1%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 25.5% $17

Getting Around

Lexington, KY

$39 * 1.8%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 49.2% $19

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 $1,141 in Lexington, KY and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 29% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $58.0 in Lexington, KY vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $405 per month, with Lexington, KY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lexington, KY

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

12:45 12:45 PM

11:45 11:45 AM

1 h behind Lexington, KY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

322,570

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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Between locations

Lexington, KY Austin, TX 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Lexington, KY
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

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

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

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $1,141 in Lexington, KY versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,209 per month in Lexington, KY versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lexington, KY runs roughly 37% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,209 in Lexington, KY versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lexington, KY but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Lexington, 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.

Safety-wise, Lexington, KY and Austin, TX are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lexington, 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.