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 | Galveston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,200/mo | 29.1% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $258,300 | 78.7% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $57,453 | 50.7% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 100.0 | 4.8% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 95.1 | 9.7% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.5 | 97.1 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 95.8 | 95.3 | ≈ equal |
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 $93,668 in Galveston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Galveston, TX is about 6.3% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 16% lower in Galveston than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $74,934 in Galveston to keep the same standard of living.