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 | Boston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,981/mo | 21.8% lower in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $684,900 | 32.6% lower in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $89,212 | 3.0% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 98.7 | 104.8 | 5.8% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 94.8 | 133.1 | 28.8% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 100.5 | 88.4 | 13.7% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.8 | 134.4 | 29.5% 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 $127,890 in Boston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Austin, TX is about 21.8% cheaper overall than Boston, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 22% lower in Austin than in Boston. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $102,312 in Boston to keep the same standard of living.