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 | Santa Rosa | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $2,024/mo | 23.5% lower in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $661,700 | 30.3% lower in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $92,604 | 6.5% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.2 | 109.7 | 5.0% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 102.6 | 134.1 | 23.5% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 91.7 | 116.1 | 21.0% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 110.4 | 119.5 | 7.6% 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 $123,606 in Santa Rosa to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Austin, TX is about 19.1% cheaper overall than Santa Rosa, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 23% lower in Austin than in Santa Rosa. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $98,885 in Santa Rosa to keep the same standard of living.