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 | Rochester | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,218/mo | 27.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $268,800 | 71.7% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $83,973 | 3.1% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 95.7 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 88.7 | 3.2% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.5 | 93.6 | 4.2% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 95.8 | 94.3 | 1.6% 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 $84,538 in Rochester to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Rochester, MN is about 15.5% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 31% lower in Rochester than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $67,631 in Rochester to keep the same standard of living.