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 | Surprise | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,822/mo | 15.0% lower in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $352,600 | 30.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $87,756 | 1.4% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 97.7 | 2.6% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 102.9 | 16.5% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.5 | 104.2 | 6.4% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 95.8 | 104.0 | 7.9% 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 $106,833 in Surprise to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Austin, TX is about 6.4% cheaper overall than Surprise, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 6% lower in Austin than in Surprise. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $85,466 in Surprise to keep the same standard of living.