Austin Cost of Living Calculator

On the index this calculator uses (C2ER, BLS and BEA regional price parities, 2024-2025, U.S. average = 100), Austin scores 103 on the composite, 3% above the U.S. average. Housing is 108 (8% above the U.S. average), utilities 98 (2% below the U.S. average), transportation 100 (right at the U.S. average) and healthcare 99 (1% below the U.S. average). Affordable is relative. Whether that reads as cheap depends on where you are coming from, which is why the tool shows the gap against your current city in dollars rather than in index points.

Austin's food index is 97, 3% below the U.S. average, on the same basis (C2ER, BLS and BEA regional price parities, 2024-2025, U.S. average = 100). Regional chains anchor the grocery market across Texas, but the index, not the chain, is what the calculator applies to your budget.

Housing is almost always the largest difference. Depending on where you are moving from, you could save 20-50% on mortgage payments or rent compared to cities like San Francisco, New York, or Los Angeles.

No. Texas is one of nine states with no personal income tax. This can represent a significant savings, effectively boosting your take-home pay by 3-10% compared to states with income taxes. However, property taxes in Texas are higher than the national average.

We do not publish a dollar utility bill for Austin. The calculator applies the utilities index instead: 98, 2% below the U.S. average (C2ER, BLS and BEA regional price parities, 2024-2025, U.S. average = 100), so scaling your current bill by that ratio gives a first estimate that is at least tied to a stated basis. Summer is the swing factor. Air-conditioning load pushes the peak months in every Texas metro well above the annual average, so budget for the summer, not the mean.

Select your current city and see a side-by-side comparison with Austin using C2ER and BLS data. The calculator adjusts your income across seven categories so you can see real dollar differences in spending power.