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 | Blaine | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,635/mo | 5.3% lower in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $303,800 | 51.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $100,659 | 14.0% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 101.0 | 5.8% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 93.0 | 7.6% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.5 | 102.2 | 4.5% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 95.8 | 102.8 | 6.8% 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 $101,578 in Blaine to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Austin, TX is about 1.6% cheaper overall than Blaine, MN, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 3% lower in Blaine than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $81,263 in Blaine to keep the same standard of living.