Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Nicholasville, KY: $2,472 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Nicholasville, KY
🇺🇸 United States
$2,472
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,698
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,472 in Nicholasville, KY versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

  • Nicholasville, KY $2,472
  • Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,559 in Nicholasville, KY versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

  • Nicholasville, KY $3,559
  • Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,646 in Nicholasville, KY versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

  • Nicholasville, KY $4,646
  • Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Nicholasville, KY costs roughly 8% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nicholasville, KY 82% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nicholasville, KY
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.04 $14.04
$20.63 $20.63
-31.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.9 $56.9
$84.6 $84.6
-32.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.96 $8.96
$12.07 $12.07
-25.77%
Cappuccino
$4.90 $4.90
$5.48 $5.48
-10.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 $2.44
$3.80 $3.80
-35.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85 $1.85
$2.47 $2.47
-25.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.01 $5.01
$8.05 $8.05
-37.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.92 $5.92
$8.88 $8.88
-33.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nicholasville, KY
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.75 $0.75
$1.11 $1.11
-32.43%
White Bread (500g)
$2.82 $2.82
$3.72 $3.72
-24.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.77 $3.77
$3.37 $3.37
11.87%
Eggs
$3.49 $3.49
$4.32 $4.32
-19.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.41 $10.41
$13.13 $13.13
-20.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.40 $10.40
$14.15 $14.15
-26.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.42 $14.42
$16.33 $16.33
-11.70%
Apples (1kg)
$5.79 $5.79
$4.55 $4.55
27.25%
Banana (1kg)
$1.88 $1.88
$1.46 $1.46
28.77%
Oranges (1kg)
$7.14 $7.14
$4.71 $4.71
51.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.48 $4.48
$4.15 $4.15
7.95%
Potato (1kg)
$3.11 $3.11
$2.58 $2.58
20.54%
Onion (1kg)
$3.16 $3.16
$2.35 $2.35
34.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.11 $2.11
$1.77 $1.77
19.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.81 $2.81
$2.14 $2.14
31.31%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.18 $9.18
$10.10 $10.10
-9.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.72 $15.72
$15.19 $15.19
3.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 $1.71
$2.82 $2.82
-39.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.10 $6.10
$3.44 $3.44
77.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Nicholasville, KY
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.75 $1.75
$1.54 $1.54
13.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$40.99 $40.99
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.96 $4.96
$2.80 $2.80
77.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.72 $1.72
$1.60 $1.60
7.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.71 $26.71
$34.34 $34.34
-22.22%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.93 $0.93
$0.94 $0.94
-1.06%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.7K $27.7K
$34.0K $34.0K
-18.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.9K $25.9K
$26.8K $26.8K
-3.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nicholasville, KY
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$187 $187
$223 $223
-15.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$51.0 $51.0
$58.9 $58.9
-13.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.4 $75.4
$70.6 $70.6
6.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nicholasville, KY
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.49 $41.49
$57.7 $57.7
-28.09%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.53 $16.53
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.39 $14.39
$14.26 $14.26
0.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nicholasville, KY
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$531 $531
$1,511 $1,511
-64.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,531 $6,531
$20.9K $20.9K
-68.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nicholasville, KY
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$40.25 $40.25
$51.3 $51.3
-21.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.12 $48.12
$44.17 $44.17
8.94%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$70.4 $70.4
$87.0 $87.0
-19.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 $123
$104 $104
18.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nicholasville, KY
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,589 $1,589
$1,940 $1,940
-18.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,296 $1,296
$1,316 $1,316
-1.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,513 $2,513
$3,664 $3,664
-31.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,130 $2,130
$2,565 $2,565
-16.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,848 $2,848
$7,354 $7,354
-61.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,178 $2,178
$3,129 $3,129
-30.38%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nicholasville, KY
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$5,286 $5,286
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.74
6.79
-0.74%

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

Last update for Nicholasville, KY: 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
Nicholasville, KY
$1.3K
Austin, TX
$1.3K 1.5% $20
Groceries & Markets
Nicholasville, KY
$392
Austin, TX
$406 3.4% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nicholasville, KY
$314
Austin, TX
$352 12.2% $38
Eating Out
Nicholasville, KY
$252
Austin, TX
$350 38.9% $98
Clothing & Footwear
Nicholasville, KY
$127
Austin, TX
$129 1.7% $2.2
Sport & Entertainment
Nicholasville, KY
$70
Austin, TX
$86 22.7% $16
Getting Around
Nicholasville, KY
$21 *
Austin, TX
$58 181% $37

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 $1,589 in Nicholasville, KY and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $57.0 in Nicholasville, KY vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $406 per month, with Nicholasville, KY cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Nicholasville, KY
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
04:11 4:11 AM
03:11 3:11 AM
1 h behind Nicholasville, KY
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
24,791
974,447
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nicholasville, KY Austin, TX 1,480 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Nicholasville, 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
Nicholasville, KY vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Nicholasville, KY or Austin, TX?
Nicholasville, KY wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nicholasville, KY the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Nicholasville, KY and in Austin, TX?
You'd need roughly $3,708 in Nicholasville, KY and $4,046 in Austin, TX to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Nicholasville, KY compared to Austin, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Nicholasville, KY versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Nicholasville, KY and in Austin, TX?
Childcare runs $531 in Nicholasville, KY versus $1,511 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Nicholasville, KY and in Austin, TX?
Dining out is cheaper in Nicholasville, KY – a meal for two runs $57.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Nicholasville, KY or in Austin, TX?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Nicholasville, KY is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Nicholasville, KY or Austin, TX?
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.
How safe is Nicholasville, KY compared to Austin, TX?
Safety-wise, Nicholasville, 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Nicholasville, KY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Nicholasville, KY vs other spots: cost of living compared

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