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 Luis Obispo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,850/mo | 16.3% lower in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $841,700 | 45.2% lower in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $65,000 | 33.2% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 104.8 | 9.2% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 141.0 | 39.1% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.5 | 101.6 | 4.0% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 95.8 | 101.4 | 5.5% 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 $117,134 in San Luis Obispo to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Austin, TX is about 14.6% cheaper overall than San Luis Obispo, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 17% lower in Austin than in San Luis Obispo. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $93,708 in San Luis Obispo to keep the same standard of living.