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 | St. Paul | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,174/mo | 31.9% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $264,900 | 74.2% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $69,919 | 23.8% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 94.7 | 103.0 | 8.1% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 83.9 | 93.1 | 9.9% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 95.8 | 103.3 | 7.2% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.5 | 103.3 | 5.6% 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 $100,019 in St. Paul to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Austin and St. Paul have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 9% lower in St. Paul than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $80,015 in St. Paul to keep the same standard of living.