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 | Austin | Berkeley | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $2,067/mo | 25.1% lower in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $1,280,300 | 64.0% lower in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $104,716 | 17.3% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.2 | 110.1 | 5.4% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 102.6 | 134.8 | 23.9% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 91.7 | 116.9 | 21.6% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 110.4 | 120.6 | 8.5% 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 Austin, you'd need $125,294 in Berkeley to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Austin, TX is about 20.2% cheaper overall than Berkeley, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 25% lower in Austin than in Berkeley. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $100,236 in Berkeley to keep the same standard of living.