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 | Albuquerque | Austin | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,014/mo | $1,549/mo | 34.5% lower in A |
| Median home value | $246,000 | $461,500 | 46.7% lower in A |
| Median household income | $61,503 | $86,556 | 28.9% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 100.2 | 104.2 | 3.8% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 118.8 | 102.6 | 15.8% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 96.6 | 91.7 | 5.4% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 93.2 | 110.4 | 15.6% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Albuquerque, you'd need $119,323 in Austin to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Albuquerque, NM is about 16.2% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 35% lower in Albuquerque than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Albuquerque, you'd need about $95,458 in Austin to keep the same standard of living.