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 | McAllen | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $955/mo | 62.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $158,700 | 190.8% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $56,326 | 53.7% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.2 | 97.2 | 7.2% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 102.6 | 93.5 | 9.7% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 91.7 | 79.7 | 15.0% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 110.4 | 91.6 | 20.5% 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 $75,974 in McAllen to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
McAllen, TX is about 24% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 38% lower in McAllen than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $60,780 in McAllen to keep the same standard of living.