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 | Towson | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,695/mo | 8.6% lower in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $408,100 | 13.1% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $98,425 | 12.1% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 101.3 | 5.9% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 105.6 | 18.7% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.5 | 101.2 | 3.6% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 95.8 | 99.5 | 3.7% 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 $104,508 in Towson to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Austin, TX is about 4.3% cheaper overall than Towson, MD, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $83,606 in Towson to keep the same standard of living.