Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Paducah, KY: $2,059 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Paducah, KY, United States
Austin, TX, United States
Paducah, KY
🇺🇸 United States
$2,059
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,607
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,059 in Paducah, KY versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

  • Paducah, KY $2,059
  • Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,222 in Paducah, KY versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

  • Paducah, KY $3,222
  • Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,385 in Paducah, KY versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

  • Paducah, KY $4,385
  • Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Paducah, KY costs roughly 21% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Paducah, KY 51% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Paducah, KY
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.34 $18.34
$20.35 $20.35
-9.88%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.1 $78.1
$84.7 $84.7
-7.86%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.46 $8.46
$12.12 $12.12
-30.20%
Cappuccino
$5.26 $5.26
$5.65 $5.65
-6.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 $2.42
$3.68 $3.68
-34.24%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 $1.74
$2.36 $2.36
-26.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.39 $5.39
$7.87 $7.87
-31.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.55 $6.55
$8.82 $8.82
-25.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Paducah, KY
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.08 $1.08
$1.14 $1.14
-5.26%
White Bread (500g)
$2.63 $2.63
$3.69 $3.69
-28.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.86 $5.86
$3.31 $3.31
77.04%
Eggs
$3.93 $3.93
$4.15 $4.15
-5.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.26 $10.26
$12.98 $12.98
-20.96%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.89 $11.89
$13.86 $13.86
-14.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.00 $14.00
$16.34 $16.34
-14.32%
Apples (1kg)
$5.91 $5.91
$4.69 $4.69
26.01%
Banana (1kg)
$2.39 $2.39
$1.45 $1.45
64.83%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.54 $5.54
$5.11 $5.11
8.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.25 $5.25
$4.52 $4.52
16.15%
Potato (1kg)
$3.92 $3.92
$3.08 $3.08
27.27%
Onion (1kg)
$2.49 $2.49
$2.38 $2.38
4.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.93 $1.93
$1.80 $1.80
7.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 $2.26
$2.22 $2.22
1.80%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.12 $8.12
$9.97 $9.97
-18.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.26 $15.26
$15.05 $15.05
1.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.99 $1.99
$2.91 $2.91
-31.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 $1.70
$3.33 $3.33
-48.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Paducah, KY
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.99 $0.99
$1.22 $1.22
-18.85%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$20.20 $20.20
$40.53 $40.53
-50.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.43 $3.43
$2.78 $2.78
23.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 $1.58
$1.65 $1.65
-4.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.55 $39.55
$35.39 $35.39
11.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 $0.82
$0.95 $0.95
-13.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.7K $28.7K
$34.2K $34.2K
-16.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K $25.8K
$26.8K $26.8K
-3.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Paducah, KY
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$241 $241
$223 $223
8.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$56.5 $56.5
$58.5 $58.5
-3.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$74.8 $74.8
$71.2 $71.2
5.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Paducah, KY
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.65 $35.65
$53.0 $53.0
-32.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.75 $16.75
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.87 $8.87
$14.06 $14.06
-36.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Paducah, KY
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,426 $1,426
$1,459 $1,459
-2.27%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.9K $23.9K
$21.3K $21.3K
12.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Paducah, KY
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.1 $56.1
$52.5 $52.5
6.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.83 $29.83
$42.75 $42.75
-30.22%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.3 $71.3
$86.4 $86.4
-17.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$70.7 $70.7
$104 $104
-31.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Paducah, KY
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,076 $1,076
$2,112 $2,112
-49.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$807 $807
$1,230 $1,230
-34.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,919 $1,919
$3,863 $3,863
-50.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,660 $1,660
$2,407 $2,407
-31.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,383 $1,383
$7,426 $7,426
-81.38%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,379 $1,379
$3,060 $3,060
-54.93%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Paducah, KY
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,989 $3,989
$5,179 $5,179
-22.99%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.72
6.82
-1.47%

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

Last update for Paducah, KY: 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
Paducah, KY
$807
Austin, TX
$1.2K 52.5% $424
Groceries & Markets
Paducah, KY
$396
Austin, TX
$410 3.4% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Paducah, KY
$372
Austin, TX
$353 5.3% $20
Eating Out
Paducah, KY
$292
Austin, TX
$348 19.3% $56
Clothing & Footwear
Paducah, KY
$103
Austin, TX
$128 25.3% $26
Sport & Entertainment
Paducah, KY
$53
Austin, TX
$81 52% $28
Getting Around
Paducah, KY
$35
Austin, TX
$56 59.1% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,076 in Paducah, KY and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 30% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $78 in Paducah, KY vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $396 vs $410 per month, with Paducah, KY cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Paducah, KY
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
09:06 9:06 AM
09:06 9:06 AM
Same time as Paducah, KY
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
25,048
974,447
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Paducah, KY Austin, TX 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Paducah, 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
Paducah, KY vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Paducah, KY or Austin, TX?
Paducah, 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 Paducah, KY the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Paducah, KY or in Austin, TX?
On paper, salaries run 23% lower in Paducah, KY. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Paducah, KY compared to Austin, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,076 in Paducah, KY versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Paducah, KY compared to Austin, TX?
All in, you’ll spend $2,059 per month in Paducah, KY versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – Paducah, KY is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How expensive is transport in Paducah, KY compared to Austin, TX?
A monthly transit pass in Paducah, KY runs roughly 50% less than in Austin, TX. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Paducah, KY or in Austin, TX?
At $2,059 in Paducah, KY versus $2,607 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Paducah, KY but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Paducah, KY the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Paducah, 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Paducah, 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.

Paducah, KY vs other spots: cost of living compared

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