Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Louisville, KY: $2,241 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Louisville, KY
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Louisville, KY Living Index
129

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

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Louisville, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,241

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,241 in Louisville, KY versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Louisville, KY $2,241
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,445 in Louisville, KY versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Louisville, KY $3,445
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,648 in Louisville, KY versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Louisville, KY $4,648
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Louisville, 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: Louisville, KY 65% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.79 $14.79

$20.63 $20.63

-28.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.4 $71.4

$84.6 $84.6

-15.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 $9.66

$12.07 $12.07

-19.97%

Cappuccino

$5.18 $5.18

$5.48 $5.48

-5.47%

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

$2.19 $2.19

$3.80 $3.80

-42.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.47 $2.47

-35.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 $5.93

$8.05 $8.05

-26.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 $7.05

$8.88 $8.88

-20.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.11 $1.11

-32.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.72 $3.72

-11.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$3.37 $3.37

52.23%

Eggs

$3.60 $3.60

$4.32 $4.32

-16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.38 $15.38

$13.13 $13.13

17.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.10 $12.10

$14.15 $14.15

-14.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

Apples (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$4.55 $4.55

18.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.46 $1.46

9.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$4.71 $4.71

-3.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$4.15 $4.15

9.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.58 $2.58

7.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.35 $2.35

28.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.77 $1.77

27.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.14 $2.14

10.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.24 $9.24

$10.10 $10.10

-8.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.82 $15.82

$15.19 $15.19

4.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.82 $2.82

-2.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 $3.95

$3.44 $3.44

14.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.54 $1.54

10.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.6 $50.6

$40.99 $40.99

23.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.80 $2.80

-0.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.60 $1.60

-11.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.34 $30.34

$34.34 $34.34

-11.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.94 $0.94

1.06%

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

$33.9K $33.9K

$34.0K $34.0K

-0.17%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.38%

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

$180 $180

$223 $223

-19.17%

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

$60.2 $60.2

$58.9 $58.9

2.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.1 $68.1

$70.6 $70.6

-3.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.34 $20.34

$57.7 $57.7

-64.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.45 $2.45

$16.53 $16.53

-85.18%

Cinema Ticket

$11.13 $11.13

$14.26 $14.26

-21.95%

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

$1,268 $1,268

$1,511 $1,511

-16.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K $16.3K

$20.9K $20.9K

-21.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.73 $49.73

$51.3 $51.3

-3.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.18 $41.18

$44.17 $44.17

-6.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.7 $97.7

$87.0 $87.0

12.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$104 $104

6.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,582 $1,582

$1,940 $1,940

-18.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 $1,006

$1,316 $1,316

-23.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,971 $1,971

$3,664 $3,664

-46.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,923 $1,923

$2,565 $2,565

-25.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,682 $2,682

$7,354 $7,354

-63.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,779 $1,779

$3,129 $3,129

-43.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,973 $3,973

$5,286 $5,286

-24.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.79

-3.24%

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

Last update for Louisville, KY: October 17, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Louisville, KY

$1K 44.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 30.8% $310

Groceries & Markets

Louisville, KY

$414 18.5%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 1.9% $7.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Louisville, KY

$308 13.8%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 14.2% $44

Eating Out

Louisville, KY

$268 12%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 30.5% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Louisville, KY

$135 6%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 4.2% $5.7

Getting Around

Louisville, KY

$67 3%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 13.8% $9.3

Sport & Entertainment

Louisville, KY

$43 1.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 102% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,582 in Louisville, KY and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 33% 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: $71.0 in Louisville, KY vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $414 vs $406, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Louisville, KY

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

21:01 9:01 PM

20:01 8:01 PM

1 h behind Louisville, KY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

612,780

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

Louisville, KY Austin, TX 1,410 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Louisville, 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

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

Louisville, KY wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Louisville, KY the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 33% 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: $1,582 in Louisville, KY versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,241 per month in Louisville, KY versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Louisville, KY runs roughly 23% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Louisville, KY is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Louisville, KY delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,241 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Louisville, KY hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Louisville, KY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.