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 | Tacoma | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,489/mo | 4.0% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $415,300 | 11.1% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $79,085 | 9.4% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 100.9 | 5.6% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 91.7 | 6.4% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.5 | 110.9 | 12.1% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 95.8 | 113.2 | 15.4% 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 $113,931 in Tacoma to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Austin, TX is about 12.2% cheaper overall than Tacoma, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 14% lower in Austin than in Tacoma. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $91,145 in Tacoma to keep the same standard of living.