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 | Portsmouth | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,225/mo | 26.4% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $213,300 | 116.4% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $57,154 | 51.4% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 97.3 | 2.2% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 91.2 | 5.8% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.5 | 99.2 | 1.7% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 95.8 | 97.5 | 1.7% 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 $92,458 in Portsmouth to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Portsmouth, VA is about 7.5% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 18% lower in Portsmouth than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $73,967 in Portsmouth to keep the same standard of living.