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 | Rapid City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $975/mo | 58.9% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $244,500 | 88.8% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $62,784 | 37.9% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 95.7 | 0.5% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 82.9 | 3.6% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 97.5 | 93.4 | 4.4% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 95.8 | 94.0 | 1.9% higher 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 $79,992 in Rapid City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Rapid City, SD is about 20% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 39% lower in Rapid City than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $63,994 in Rapid City to keep the same standard of living.