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 | Bethlehem | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,218/mo | 27.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $220,300 | 109.5% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $62,072 | 39.4% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 100.7 | 5.4% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 105.1 | 18.3% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.5 | 97.2 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 95.8 | 99.8 | 4.0% 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 $95,530 in Bethlehem to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Bethlehem, PA is about 4.5% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 15% lower in Bethlehem than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $76,424 in Bethlehem to keep the same standard of living.