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 | Buffalo | Rochester | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $942/mo | $995/mo | 5.3% lower in A |
| Median home value | $132,100 | $111,400 | 18.6% higher in A |
| Median household income | $46,184 | $44,156 | 4.6% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 101.0 | 101.0 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 99.3 | 99.3 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 95.9 | 95.9 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 104.7 | 104.7 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Buffalo, you'd need $105,627 in Rochester to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Buffalo, NY is about 5.3% cheaper overall than Rochester, NY, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 5% lower in Buffalo than in Rochester. If you earn $80,000 in Buffalo, you'd need about $84,501 in Rochester to keep the same standard of living.