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 | Lawrence | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,038/mo | 49.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $247,300 | 86.6% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $59,834 | 44.7% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.2 | 100.3 | 3.9% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 102.6 | 86.4 | 18.7% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 91.7 | 88.5 | 3.6% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 110.4 | 87.8 | 25.7% 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 $79,781 in Lawrence to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Lawrence, KS is about 20.2% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 33% lower in Lawrence than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $63,825 in Lawrence to keep the same standard of living.