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 | Arlington | Austin | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,902/mo | $1,549/mo | 22.8% higher in A |
| Median home value | $839,200 | $461,500 | 81.8% higher in A |
| Median household income | $136,312 | $86,556 | 57.5% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 100.0 | 95.2 | 5.1% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 133.9 | 85.9 | 56.0% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 101.3 | 97.5 | 3.9% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 103.9 | 95.8 | 8.5% 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 Arlington, you'd need $85,036 in Austin to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Austin, TX is about 15% cheaper overall than Arlington, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 19% lower in Austin than in Arlington. If you earn $80,000 in Arlington, you'd need about $68,029 in Austin to keep the same standard of living.