Cost of living in Buffalo: rent, homes and salary
The cost of living in Buffalo comes in 4.2% under the US average. For the Buffalo, NY metro area, the BEA regional price parity (RPP) in 2024 stands at 95.8, with the US at 100, while housing alone sits at 81.0.
- Level of prices
- 95.8US = 100, BEA 2024
- Price level for housing
- 81.0. Rent, US = 100.
Cost of living index for Buffalo
With the US average set at 100, a regional price parity compares the cost of the same goods and services in one place against that average. Buffalo lies inside the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area, which BEA prices as a single region. Utilities sit furthest from the US average, at 129.5, or 29.5% above the US.
| Price level, US = 100 | Buffalo, NY metro | New York | Metro against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 95.8 | 107.9 | −4.2% |
| Goods | 99.7 | 107.3 | −0.3% |
| Housing (rents) | 81.0 | 122.2 | −19.0% |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 134.4 | +29.5% |
| Other services | 97.8 | 104.1 | −2.2% |
Metro area and state regional price parities for 2024, published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) in the United States. BEA regional price parities
Rents in Buffalo
By ZORI, the Zillow Observed Rent Index, Buffalo's typical asking rent is $1,421 a month, +3.4% on a year. ZORI tracks rent on homes listed now. Across the US, that asking rent figure comes to $1,932. Counting every renting household and not just new leases, the Census median gross rent is $1,142. One year of the asking rent equals 33% of the median household income.
| Rent | Buffalo | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical asking rent, Zillow ZORI | $1,421 | $1,932 |
| Asking rent, 12-month change | +3.4% | |
| Median gross rent, Census ACS 2024 | $1,142 | $1,487 |
| How much of median income one year of asking rent takes up | 33% | 28% |
Zillow Observed Rent Index; one-year estimates from Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024.
Buffalo home prices
According to ZHVI, the Zillow Home Value Index, the typical Buffalo home was worth $244,068 as of September 2026. ZHVI gives the typical value of a home sitting in the middle of the market. That figure is +2.6% on a year, compared with $366,157 for the US. The price equals 4.7 years of median household income, while the US figure is 4.5.
| Home prices | Buffalo | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value, September 2026 | $244,068 | $366,157 |
| 12-month change | +2.6% | +1.2% |
| 10-year change | +150.7% | +77.4% |
| Price to income (years of median income) | 4.7 | 4.5 |
| Price to rent (years of asking rent) | 14.3 | 15.8 |
Days on market, the forecast, and a price chart going back to 2000: Buffalo housing market.
What salary you need to live in Buffalo
Where you live, plus what you earn, set the salary in Buffalo that matches what your pay buys now.
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The method, plus every city side by side: city cost of living comparison.
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Buffalo cost of living compared with other cities
| City | Level of prices | Housing | Rent, typical | Typical value of a home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | 95.8 | 81.0 | $1,421 | $244,068 |
| New York City | 112.6 | 148.6 | $4,089 | $825,854 |
| Rochester, New York | 97.0 | 87.5 | $1,454 | $240,168 |
| Syracuse | 95.7 | 80.7 | $1,566 | $223,201 |
| Albany | 99.6 | 102.6 | $1,664 | $331,504 |
| Los Angeles | 113.6 | 170.4 | $2,772 | $927,891 |
| Chicago | 103.6 | 112.0 | $2,311 | $334,108 |
| Houston | 98.6 | 104.5 | $1,544 | $259,465 |
| Phoenix | 103.3 | 121.2 | $1,571 | $404,067 |
Price levels: BEA regional price parities (2024), with US = 100. For rent, Zillow ZORI. Home values: Zillow ZHVI, September 2026.
All cities ranked: city cost of living comparison. Every state: cost of living in each state.