Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lexington, KY and San Marcos, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Lexington, KY: $2,209 a month against $2,361 in San Marcos, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in San Marcos, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lexington, KY
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Lexington, KY Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in San Marcos, TX
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San Marcos, TX Living Index

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Lexington, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,209

/mo nomad

San Marcos, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,361

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,209 in Lexington, KY versus $2,361 in San Marcos, TX.

Lexington, KY $2,209
San Marcos, TX $2,361

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,249 in Lexington, KY versus $3,510 in San Marcos, TX.

Lexington, KY $3,249
San Marcos, TX $3,510

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,289 in Lexington, KY versus $4,658 in San Marcos, TX.

Lexington, KY $4,289
San Marcos, TX $4,658

Living in Lexington, KY costs roughly 6% less than in San Marcos, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lexington, KY 64% above, San Marcos, TX 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.82 $12.82

$14.98 $14.98

-14.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.6 $57.6

$60.5 $60.5

-4.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.78 $8.78

$11.80 $11.80

-25.59%

Cappuccino

$5.00 $5.00

$4.72 $4.72

5.93%

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

$2.48 $2.48

$2.90 $2.90

-14.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.73 $1.73

23.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 $5.05

$5.12 $5.12

-1.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 $5.98

$6.11 $6.11

-2.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$0.76 $0.76

2.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.20 $3.20

-12.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$3.74 $3.74

9.63%

Eggs

$3.69 $3.69

$2.77 $2.77

33.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 $10.40

$10.06 $10.06

3.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 $10.34

$9.81 $9.81

5.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$12.95 $12.95

11.20%

Apples (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$6.21 $6.21

-14.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.13 $1.13

36.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$6.58 $6.58

-16.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$4.83 $4.83

-9.52%

Potato (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$3.99 $3.99

6.27%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.92 $2.92

9.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.83 $1.83

17.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.80 $1.80

73.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.68 $8.68

$8.49 $8.49

2.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 $12.87

$13.93 $13.93

-7.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.77 $1.77

51.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$3.94 $3.94

9.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 $0.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 $30.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 $4.91

$4.57 $4.57

7.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.5 $59.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$0.81 $0.81

23.46%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

-0.19%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.0K $25.0K

3.37%

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

$191 $191

$134 $134

42.20%

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

$105 $105

$40.38 $40.38

160.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.9 $74.9

$55.8 $55.8

34.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.65 $38.65

$68.9 $68.9

-43.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.41 $29.41

Cinema Ticket

$14.86 $14.86

$11.32 $11.32

31.27%

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

$2,261 $2,261

$665 $665

240.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.8K $24.8K

$17.7K $17.7K

40.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 $50.9

$59.4 $59.4

-14.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.06 $31.06

$38.15 $38.15

-18.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 $118

$83.0 $83.0

41.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 $152

$123 $123

23.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 $1,141

$1,350 $1,350

-15.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 $942

$1,258 $1,258

-25.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 $2,028

$2,855 $2,855

-28.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 $1,565

$2,205 $2,205

-29.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,066 $2,066

$2,463 $2,463

-16.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,100 $2,100

$1,874 $1,874

12.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,968 $3,968

$3,143 $3,143

26.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.45

5.74%

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

Last update for Lexington, KY: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Marcos, TX: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lexington, KY

$942 42.6%

San Marcos, TX

$1.3K 53.3% 33.6% $316

Groceries & Markets

Lexington, KY

$386 17.5%

San Marcos, TX

$363 15.4% 5.8% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lexington, KY

$371 16.8%

San Marcos, TX

$230 9.8% 37.9% $141

Eating Out

Lexington, KY

$245 11.1%

San Marcos, TX

$268 11.4% 9.7% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Lexington, KY

$158 7.2%

San Marcos, TX

$136 5.8% 13.8% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Lexington, KY

$68 3.1%

San Marcos, TX

$92 3.9% 33.9% $23

Getting Around

Lexington, KY

$39 * 1.8%

San Marcos, TX

$14 * 0.6% 65.2% $26

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 $1,350 in San Marcos, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lexington, KY pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $58.0 in Lexington, KY vs $60.0 in San Marcos, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $386 vs $363, with San Marcos, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lexington, KY

🇺🇸 San Marcos, TX

🕒 Local time

13:20 1:20 PM

12:20 12:20 PM

1 h behind Lexington, KY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

322,570

44,894

💱 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

Lexington, KY San Marcos, TX 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lexington, KY
San Marcos, 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 San Marcos, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lexington, KY wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in San Marcos, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lexington, KY the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 26% higher in Lexington, KY, 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: $1,141 in Lexington, KY versus $1,350 in San Marcos, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,261 in Lexington, KY versus $665 in San Marcos, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lexington, KY – a meal for two runs $58.0 versus $60.0 in San Marcos, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,209 in Lexington, KY versus $2,361 in San Marcos, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lexington, KY but tight or insufficient in San Marcos, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Lexington, KY the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lexington, KY delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,209 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lexington, KY hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lexington, KY and San Marcos, 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 7% less than in San Marcos, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.