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 | Mountain View | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $2,855/mo | 45.7% lower in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $1,833,300 | 74.8% lower in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $174,156 | 50.3% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.2 | 117.5 | 11.3% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 102.6 | 146.7 | 30.1% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 91.7 | 132.2 | 30.6% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 110.4 | 141.2 | 21.8% 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 $156,349 in Mountain View to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Austin, TX is about 36% cheaper overall than Mountain View, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 46% lower in Austin than in Mountain View. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $125,079 in Mountain View to keep the same standard of living.