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 | Ann Arbor | Austin | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,472/mo | $1,549/mo | 5.0% lower in A |
| Median home value | $416,500 | $461,500 | 9.8% lower in A |
| Median household income | $78,546 | $86,556 | 9.3% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 94.5 | 95.2 | 0.8% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 96.3 | 85.9 | 12.1% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 98.8 | 97.5 | 1.3% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.4 | 95.8 | 3.8% higher 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 Ann Arbor, you'd need $98,018 in Austin to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Austin, TX is about 2% cheaper overall than Ann Arbor, MI, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Ann Arbor, you'd need about $78,414 in Austin to keep the same standard of living.