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 | Palatine | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,427/mo | 8.5% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $337,200 | 36.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $93,383 | 7.3% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 104.0 | 8.4% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 86.0 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 97.5 | 99.4 | 1.9% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 95.8 | 100.1 | 4.3% 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 $98,696 in Palatine to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Palatine, IL is about 1.3% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 7% lower in Palatine than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $78,957 in Palatine to keep the same standard of living.