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 Marcos | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $2,064/mo | 25.0% lower in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $728,800 | 36.7% lower in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $99,413 | 12.9% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.2 | 110.1 | 5.4% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 102.6 | 134.7 | 23.9% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 91.7 | 116.9 | 21.6% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 110.4 | 120.5 | 8.4% 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 $125,185 in San Marcos to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Austin, TX is about 20.1% cheaper overall than San Marcos, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 25% lower in Austin than in San Marcos. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $100,148 in San Marcos to keep the same standard of living.