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 | Madison | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,291/mo | 20.0% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $326,600 | 41.3% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $74,895 | 15.6% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 94.5 | 0.7% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 90.4 | 5.0% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.5 | 98.7 | 1.1% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 95.8 | 99.3 | 3.5% 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 $92,638 in Madison to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Madison, WI is about 7.4% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 17% lower in Madison than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $74,110 in Madison to keep the same standard of living.