Cost of living in Austin: rent, homes and salary
The cost of living in Austin runs 1.9% under the US average. In 2024, the Austin, TX metro area recorded a BEA regional price parity, the RPP, of 98.1, where the US is 100, while housing alone stood at 120.4.
- Level of prices
- 98.1US = 100, BEA 2024
- Price level for housing
- 120.4. Rents, US = 100.
Cost of living index for Austin
A regional price parity compares what one place pays for the same basket of goods and services against the US average, which is set at 100. Austin sits in a metro area (Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX) that BEA prices as a whole. Housing (rents) is the category furthest from the US average, at 120.4, or 20.4% above the US.
| Price level, US = 100 | Austin, TX metro | Texas | Metro against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 98.1 | 97.1 | −1.9% |
| Goods | 93.8 | 98.1 | −6.2% |
| Housing (rents) | 120.4 | 96.5 | +20.4% |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 87.5 | −18.0% |
| Other services | 96.2 | 97.1 | −3.8% |
The figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and cover regional price parities for 2024 by metro area and state. See BEA regional price parities
Rents in Austin
By the Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), which tracks rent on homes listed today, Austin's typical asking rent comes to $1,571 a month, +0.4% on a year. In the US, it is $1,932. Census median gross rent counts every renting household, not only new leases, and comes to $1,770. One year of asking rent equals 21% of the median household income.
| Rent | Austin | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical asking rent, Zillow ZORI | $1,571 | $1,932 |
| Asking rent, 12-month change | +0.4% | |
| Median gross rent, Census ACS 2024 | $1,770 | $1,487 |
| Asking rent for a year, share of median income | 21% | 28% |
Sources: one-year estimates from the Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024, plus the Zillow Observed Rent Index.
Austin home prices
In September 2026, Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) valued a typical home in Austin at $491,960. The index tracks what a home at the middle of the market is worth. That is −3.2% on a year, compared with $366,157 in the US. That is 5.4 years of median household income, compared with 4.5 years for the US.
| Home prices | Austin | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value, September 2026 | $491,960 | $366,157 |
| 12-month change | −3.2% | +1.2% |
| 10-year change | +43.3% | +77.4% |
| Price to income (years of median income) | 5.4 | 4.5 |
| Price to rent (years of asking rent) | 26.1 | 15.8 |
The price chart since 2000, the forecast plus days on market: Austin housing market.
The salary you need to live in Austin
The salary in Austin that matches what your pay buys today turns on two things: where you live, plus what you earn.
- Moving From
- Salary
Side-by-side figures for every city, plus the method behind them: cost of living comparison.
Moving to Austin? Compare moving quotes on Moving.com, a mover-quote service; we are not paid for this link.
Austin cost of living compared with other cities
| City | Level of prices | Housing | Typical rent figure | Value of a typical home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin | 98.1 | 120.4 | $1,571 | $491,960 |
| Houston | 98.6 | 104.5 | $1,544 | $259,465 |
| San Antonio | 94.7 | 94.6 | $1,381 | $244,623 |
| Dallas | 103.1 | 117.9 | $1,604 | $303,442 |
| El Paso | 89.9 | 71.2 | $1,508 | $237,556 |
| Corpus Christi | 92.7 | 84.9 | $1,422 | $222,115 |
| Lubbock | 91.3 | 76.4 | $1,315 | $210,957 |
| New York City | 112.6 | 148.6 | $4,089 | $825,854 |
| Los Angeles | 113.6 | 170.4 | $2,772 | $927,891 |
The price levels come from BEA regional price parities 2024, where US = 100. Rent comes from Zillow ZORI. Home value data: Zillow ZHVI, September 2026.
All cities ranked: cost of living comparison. All states: state cost of living.