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 | Columbia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $997/mo | 55.4% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $248,600 | 85.6% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $60,455 | 43.2% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.2 | 99.7 | 4.5% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 102.6 | 85.8 | 19.6% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 91.7 | 87.5 | 4.8% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 110.4 | 86.4 | 27.7% higher 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 $78,056 in Columbia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Columbia, MO is about 21.9% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 36% lower in Columbia than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $62,445 in Columbia to keep the same standard of living.