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 | Merced | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,197/mo | 29.4% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $322,600 | 43.1% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $59,233 | 46.1% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.2 | 101.9 | 2.2% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 102.6 | 121.6 | 15.6% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 91.7 | 100.1 | 8.4% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 110.4 | 98.0 | 12.7% 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 $91,018 in Merced to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Merced, CA is about 9% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 23% lower in Merced than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $72,814 in Merced to keep the same standard of living.