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 | Raleigh | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,371/mo | 13.0% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $347,000 | 33.0% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $78,631 | 10.1% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 97.2 | 2.1% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 90.7 | 5.3% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.5 | 98.9 | 1.4% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 95.8 | 97.2 | 1.4% 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 $94,726 in Raleigh to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Raleigh, NC is about 5.3% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 13% lower in Raleigh than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $75,781 in Raleigh to keep the same standard of living.