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 | Grand Rapids | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,138/mo | 36.1% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $203,900 | 126.3% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $61,634 | 40.4% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 94.5 | 0.8% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 93.2 | 7.8% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.5 | 98.8 | 1.2% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 95.8 | 99.4 | 3.6% 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 $87,761 in Grand Rapids to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Grand Rapids, MI is about 12.2% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 28% lower in Grand Rapids than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $70,209 in Grand Rapids to keep the same standard of living.