How expensive is your next city?
Compare the real cost of living between any two U.S. cities — rent, income, and a price index drawn from federal data, not crowd guesses.
Start with a city
Every profile shows the local price index against the national average, median rent and income, and the salary you'd need to live there comfortably.
See exactly where the money goes
Pick two cities and get a clear verdict plus a category breakdown — so a salary offer or a move actually makes sense on paper.
- One headline number: how much cheaper or pricier, overall
- Rent by apartment size from HUD Fair Market Rents
- Median income and home value from the Census
- The salary you'd need to keep the same standard of living
| Metric | Austin | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Price index | 96.8 | 118.0 |
| Median rent | $1,592 | $2,114 |
| Median income | $86,556 | $116,068 |
| Salary needed | $58,200 | $71,900 |
| Overall | 18% cheaper | — |
Popular matchups
The comparisons people run most often, ready in one click.
How we measure cost of living
No crowd-sourced guesses. Every figure traces back to a federal dataset you can verify.
The index
We use the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities, where 100 equals the U.S. average. A city at 118 is 18% pricier overall.
The real numbers
Median rent, home value and household income come from the U.S. Census ACS; rent by apartment size comes from HUD Fair Market Rents.
What it takes
We model the income required to keep housing at 30% of pay and cover everyday costs adjusted to the local price level.
Where the data comes from
How Expensive Is compiles its figures from public, official U.S. datasets (2024–2026 releases), updated as new editions are published.
Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities by state and metro area. The all-items and housing price levels behind every city index.
American Community Survey (5-Year) — Median household income, median gross rent, median home value and population by city.
Fair Market Rents — Rent benchmarks by apartment size (studio to four-bedroom) at the metro and county level.
Thinking about a move?
Run the numbers before you sign a lease or accept an offer. Compare any two U.S. cities in seconds.
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