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 | San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $2,316/mo | 33.1% lower in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $1,348,700 | 65.8% lower in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $136,689 | 36.7% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 98.7 | 58.2 | 69.5% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 94.8 | 62.4 | 52.0% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 100.5 | 59.8 | 68.1% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.8 | 38.9 | 143.5% 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 $149,517 in San Francisco to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Austin, TX is about 33.1% cheaper overall than San Francisco, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 33% lower in Austin than in San Francisco. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $119,614 in San Francisco to keep the same standard of living.