Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

115

Cost of Living Index in San Marcos, TX
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San Marcos, TX Living Index
107

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

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San Marcos, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,361

/mo nomad

Lexington, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,209

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Marcos, TX and in Lexington, KY

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Marcos, TX and in Lexington, KY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in San Marcos, TX is roughly 7% more expensive than in Lexington, KY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.98 $14.98

$12.82 $12.82

16.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.5 $60.5

$57.6 $57.6

5.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$8.78 $8.78

34.40%

Cappuccino

$4.72 $4.72

$5.00 $5.00

-5.60%

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

$2.90 $2.90

$2.48 $2.48

16.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.14 $2.14

-19.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.12 $5.12

$5.05 $5.05

1.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.11 $6.11

$5.98 $5.98

2.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$0.78 $0.78

-2.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.20 $3.20

$2.79 $2.79

14.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$4.10 $4.10

-8.78%

Eggs

$2.77 $2.77

$3.69 $3.69

-24.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 $10.06

$10.40 $10.40

-3.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.81 $9.81

$10.34 $10.34

-5.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 $12.95

$14.40 $14.40

-10.07%

Apples (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$5.31 $5.31

16.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.54 $1.54

-26.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.58 $6.58

$5.52 $5.52

19.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.37 $4.37

10.53%

Potato (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$4.24 $4.24

-5.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.21 $3.21

-9.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.15 $2.15

-14.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$3.13 $3.13

-42.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.49 $8.49

$8.68 $8.68

-2.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 $13.93

$12.87 $12.87

8.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.68 $2.68

-33.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 $3.94

$4.30 $4.30

-8.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 $0.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 $30.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.57 $4.57

$4.91 $4.91

-6.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.5 $59.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.00 $1.00

-19.00%

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)

$25.0K $25.0K

$25.9K $25.9K

-3.26%

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

$134 $134

$191 $191

-29.68%

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

$40.38 $40.38

$105 $105

-61.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 $55.8

$74.9 $74.9

-25.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 $68.9

$38.65 $38.65

78.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.41 $29.41

Cinema Ticket

$11.32 $11.32

$14.86 $14.86

-23.82%

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

$665 $665

$2,261 $2,261

-70.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K $17.7K

$24.8K $24.8K

-28.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 $59.4

$50.9 $50.9

16.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.15 $38.15

$31.06 $31.06

22.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 $83.0

$118 $118

-29.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$152 $152

-19.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 $1,350

$1,141 $1,141

18.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 $1,258

$942 $942

33.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,855 $2,855

$2,028 $2,028

40.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,205 $2,205

$1,565 $1,565

40.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,463 $2,463

$2,066 $2,066

19.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,874 $1,874

$2,100 $2,100

-10.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,143 $3,143

$3,968 $3,968

-20.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.82

-5.43%

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

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

Last update for Lexington, KY: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Marcos, TX

$1.3K 53.3%

Lexington, KY

$942 42.6% 25.1% $316

Groceries & Markets

San Marcos, TX

$363 15.4%

Lexington, KY

$386 17.5% 6.2% $23

Eating Out

San Marcos, TX

$268 11.4%

Lexington, KY

$245 11.1% 8.9% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Marcos, TX

$230 9.8%

Lexington, KY

$371 16.8% 61.1% $141

Clothing & Footwear

San Marcos, TX

$136 5.8%

Lexington, KY

$158 7.2% 16% $22

Sport & Entertainment

San Marcos, TX

$92 3.9%

Lexington, KY

$68 3.1% 25.3% $23

Getting Around

San Marcos, TX

$14 * 0.6%

Lexington, KY

$39 * 1.8% 188% $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 $1,350 in San Marcos, TX and $1,141 in Lexington, KY. 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: $60.0 in San Marcos, TX vs $58.0 in Lexington, KY. Groceries flip the comparison at $363 vs $386, with San Marcos, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Marcos, TX

🇺🇸 Lexington, KY

🕒 Local time

12:56 12:56 PM

13:56 1:56 PM

1 h ahead of San Marcos, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,894

322,570

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

From you

San Marcos, TX
Lexington, KY

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

San Marcos, TX vs Lexington, KY: 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.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Lexington, KY. 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: $1,350 in San Marcos, TX versus $1,141 in Lexington, KY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $665 in San Marcos, TX versus $2,261 in Lexington, KY. 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, San Marcos, TX and Lexington, KY 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.