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 | Meriden | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,191/mo | 30.1% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $199,100 | 131.8% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $63,671 | 35.9% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 98.4 | 3.2% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 133.1 | 35.5% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.5 | 100.6 | 3.1% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 95.8 | 103.3 | 7.2% 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 $93,744 in Meriden to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Meriden, CT is about 6.3% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 25% lower in Meriden than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $74,995 in Meriden to keep the same standard of living.