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 | Auburn | Tacoma | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,594/mo | $1,489/mo | 7.1% higher in A |
| Median home value | $460,100 | $415,300 | 10.8% higher in A |
| Median household income | $87,406 | $79,085 | 10.5% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.0 | 100.9 | 3.1% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 102.5 | 91.7 | 11.8% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 106.2 | 110.9 | 4.3% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 106.0 | 113.2 | 6.4% 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 Auburn, you'd need $99,374 in Tacoma to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Tacoma, WA is about 0.6% cheaper overall than Auburn, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 2% lower in Tacoma than in Auburn. If you earn $80,000 in Auburn, you'd need about $79,499 in Tacoma to keep the same standard of living.