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 | Portland | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,377/mo | 12.5% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $411,600 | 12.1% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $71,498 | 21.1% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 98.3 | 3.1% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 124.0 | 30.8% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.5 | 101.0 | 3.5% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 95.8 | 103.6 | 7.6% 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 $99,320 in Portland to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Portland, ME is about 0.7% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 12% lower in Portland than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $79,456 in Portland to keep the same standard of living.