City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Abilene | Brownsville | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,060/mo | $872/mo | 21.6% higher in A |
| Median home value | $161,800 | $112,600 | 43.7% higher in A |
| Median household income | $59,254 | $46,735 | 26.8% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 95.2 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 85.3 | 85.3 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 97.5 | 97.5 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 95.8 | 95.8 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Abilene, you'd need $92,362 in Brownsville to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Brownsville, TX is about 7.6% cheaper overall than Abilene, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 20% lower in Brownsville than in Abilene. If you earn $80,000 in Abilene, you'd need about $73,890 in Brownsville to keep the same standard of living.