How Much Does It Cost to Live In Lexington, KY?
Lexington is the second largest city in Kentucky, located in Bluegrass Country.
It is also known as the Horse Capital of the World, and has, in the past, been dominated by the horse industry.
It’s family-friendly, has lots of churches, low cost of living but a high quality of life, and is more liberal than most of the region.
For a major and growing city, Lexington is a pretty cheap place to live.
Not only are apartments and low-end houses cheap, but 20,000 square feet mansions on horse farms are so affordable that lots of folks retire to them from the coasts.
United States : Cost of Living by City
- Albany, NY
- Albuquerque, NM
- Anchorage, AK
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Arlington, TX
- Asheville, NC
- Atlanta, GA
- Austin, TX
- Bakersfield, CA
- Baltimore, MD
- Bellevue, WA
- Bellingham, WA
- Berkeley, CA
- Birmingham, AL
- Boise, ID
- Boston, MA
- Boulder, CO
- Brooklyn, NY
- Buffalo, NY
- Burlington, VT
- Charleston, SC
- Charlotte, NC
- Chattanooga, TN
- Chicago, IL
- Cincinnati, OH
- Cleveland, OH
- Columbia, SC
- Columbus, OH
- Dallas, TX
- Dayton, OH
- Denver, CO
- Des Moines, IA
- Detroit, MI
- El Paso, TX
- Eugene, OR
- Everett, WA
- Fayetteville, AR
- Fort Myers, FL
- Fort Wayne, IN
- Fort Worth, TX
- Fresno, CA
- Gainesville, FL
- Grand Rapids, MI
- Greensboro, NC
- Hartford, CT
- Honolulu, HI
- Houston, TX
- Huntsville, AL
- Indianapolis, IN
- Irvine, CA
- Jacksonville, FL
- Jersey City, NJ
- Kansas City, MO
- Knoxville, TN
- Las Vegas, NV
- Lexington, KY
- Little Rock, AR
- Long Beach, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- Louisville, KY
- Lubbock, TX
- Madison, WI
- Memphis, TN
- Miami, FL
- Milwaukee, WI
- Minneapolis, MN
- Nashville, TN
- New Orleans, LA
- New York, NY
- Oakland, CA
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Olympia, WA
- Orlando, FL
- Peoria, IL
- Philadelphia, PA
- Phoenix, AZ
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- Portland, ME
- Portland, OR
- Raleigh, NC
- Reno, NV
- Richmond, VA
- Rochester, NY
- Sacramento, CA
- Saint Louis, MO
- Saint Paul, MN
- Saint Petersburg, FL
- Salem, OR
- Salt Lake City, UT
- San Antonio, TX
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- San Francisco, CA
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- Santa Barbara, CA
- Santa Rosa, CA
- Seattle, WA
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- Tacoma, WA
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- Tampa, FL
- Toledo, OH
- Tucson, AZ
- Tulsa, OK
- Vancouver, WA
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Washington, DC
- West Palm Beach, FL
- Wichita, KS
RESTAURANTS
Food choices are good.
Lexington is becoming a “cool” town very fast.
There is a big movement toward locally-owned restaurants, coffee shops, breweries, and bars, and it’s recommended that you eat precisely at these independent restaurants and breweries.
A meal at an inexpensive restaurant in Lexington will cost you around 15$.
MARKETS
You’ll have no problem finding 24-hour supermarkets here and they’re well-stocked, too.
Cooking by yourself is very economical, and if you have a shopping list, and you’re smart about your groceries, following all the daily sales in regular American supermarket stores – then you can save a bunch of money.
TRANSPORTATION
Public transportation (buses) actually works well if you’re in an urban area, but beyond that, you’ll want a car.
Regular fares cost $1.
Downtown Lexington is compact and easily navigated by foot or bicycle so this way you can save a lot of money.
You can easily pass through the city center in 20 minutes.
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
Like in most other American cities, utilities aren’t too expensive in Lexington – by American standards, though it does depend on the amount of electricity you use and on the size of your apartment.
For example, for a bit larger apartment, of about 85m2, all basic utilities like heating, cooling, electricity, and gas will cost you around 233$.
SPORTS & LEISURE
Lexington has some seriously nice state parks, national parks, and national recreational areas where you can go for a jog or have other outdoor activities.
A gym or a fitness club membership will cost you around 37$, while going to the cinema and enjoying some movie time has never been more expensive.
Prepare to pay 12$ per ticket.
CLOTHING & SHOES
There are several major shopping areas in Lexington.
Look around for all merchandise marked “Kentucky Proud”, which marks it as a participant in Kentucky’s buy-local initiative.
Fayette Mall is actually the largest mall in the state and here, you can buy quality jeans for around 65$, and running sneakers for 76$.
RENT PER MONTH
The renting is cheap in comparison to the country’s average.
Rent will, however, be one of your main concerns during your stay in Lexington, apart from food, of course.
If you want an apartment in the center of Lexington, count on paying around 1,322.33$, and for a bigger apartment (if you have a family), add another 500$ to that.
Cost of Living Averages Table for Lexington, KY
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $15.00 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $4.75 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $1.88 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $0.80 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $2.94 |
| Eggs (12) | $3.24 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $1.00 |
| Monthly Pass | $30.00 |
| Gasoline | $0.86 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $233.46 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.10 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $66.33 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $37.50 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $12.50 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $12.00 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $65.00 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $35.33 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $76.00 | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $1322.33 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $936.67 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $2650.00 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Lexington, KY?
As in most countries of the world, the biggest expense for the people of Lexington is food and groceries – a huge percentage of one’s income gets spent on food.
The second biggest expense is rent since it’s relatively high though not as high as in more popular cities of America.
Transportation expenses and going to restaurants are equally as important for the people of Lexington since they spend nearly the same amounts of money on both.
Not surprisingly, the smallest financial burden for the people of Lexington is the clothes and accessories.
Average Costs Breakdown
Lexington, KY: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
Lexington is a growing town on the verge of becoming a true city.
Its focus has turned toward the young professional market which almost always leads to growth and increase in salaries.
Their average monthly net salary is around 2800$ which is enough to cover all expenses, but definitely means a bit of a struggle for someone who’s renting.
The minimum wage in Lexington is around 1250$, which is still not staggeringly low and allows citizens to afford all of the basics.
Lexington Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Lexington Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: LOW
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
- MUGGING RISK: LOW
- TERRORISM RISK: LOW
- SCAMS RISK: LOW
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
