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 | Cambridge | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $2,628/mo | 41.1% lower in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $997,600 | 53.7% lower in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $121,539 | 28.8% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.2 | 104.8 | 0.6% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 102.6 | 133.1 | 23.0% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 91.7 | 88.4 | 3.7% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 110.4 | 134.4 | 17.9% 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 $137,061 in Cambridge to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Austin, TX is about 27% cheaper overall than Cambridge, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 41% lower in Austin than in Cambridge. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $109,649 in Cambridge to keep the same standard of living.