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 | Bowie | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $2,167/mo | 28.5% lower in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $419,200 | 10.1% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $138,797 | 37.6% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 103.0 | 7.5% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 103.1 | 16.7% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.5 | 101.8 | 4.2% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 95.8 | 100.1 | 4.3% 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 $118,439 in Bowie to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Austin, TX is about 15.6% cheaper overall than Bowie, MD, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 23% lower in Austin than in Bowie. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $94,751 in Bowie to keep the same standard of living.