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 | Meridian | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,548/mo | 0.1% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $425,800 | 8.4% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $93,296 | 7.2% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 98.5 | 3.4% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 87.0 | 1.3% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.5 | 100.7 | 3.1% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 95.8 | 100.5 | 4.7% 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 $97,581 in Meridian to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Meridian, ID is about 2.4% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 9% lower in Meridian than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $78,064 in Meridian to keep the same standard of living.