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 | Rio Rancho | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,357/mo | 14.1% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $246,700 | 87.1% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $78,978 | 9.6% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 98.5 | 3.3% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 92.0 | 6.7% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.5 | 100.4 | 2.8% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 95.8 | 100.2 | 4.4% 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 $91,494 in Rio Rancho to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Rio Rancho, NM is about 8.5% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 22% lower in Rio Rancho than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $73,195 in Rio Rancho to keep the same standard of living.