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 | El Centro | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $938/mo | 65.1% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $266,500 | 73.2% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $54,922 | 57.6% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 104.8 | 9.2% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 147.6 | 41.8% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.5 | 101.6 | 4.0% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 95.8 | 101.4 | 5.5% 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 $87,203 in El Centro to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
El Centro, CA is about 12.8% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 43% lower in El Centro than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $69,763 in El Centro to keep the same standard of living.