Cost of Living in Austin, TX (2026)

Austin's cost of living is 2% below the US average. $100,000 here is worth about $101,972 nationally. Rent, homes and monthly costs.

Austin has a cost-of-living index of 98 against a US average of 100 — about 2% below average. $100,000 of income here is worth roughly $101,972 at the national average.

What it costs to live in Austin

MeasureAustinUS average
Cost-of-living index98100
Median rent$1,655/mo-
Median home value$512,700-
Median household income$91,461-
Population967,862-

Monthly cost breakdown in Austin

Estimates use BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey shares scaled by the local cost-of-living index. Housing uses the city’s median rent; the owning column uses a 30-year mortgage at 6.7% with 10% down on the median home.

CategoryRentingOwning
Housing$1,655$2,978
Transport$1,226$1,226
Food$964$964
Healthcare$605$605
Other$2,153$2,153
Total$6,603$7,926

Affordability in Austin

Median rent takes about 21.7% of the median household income in Austin — comfortably inside the 30% rule of thumb.

The median home costs 5.6x the median household income. Three times income is the traditional comfort line; five times is where affordability usually breaks down.

Highest-paying roles in Austin

RoleTypical salaryWorth nationally
Marketing Manager$154,010$157,047
Software Developer$131,320$133,910
Data Scientist$111,760$113,964
Physical Therapist$102,720$104,746
Mechanical Engineer$102,370$104,389
Dental Hygienist$100,675$102,660
Web Developer$97,560$99,484
Financial Analyst$95,580$97,465

“Worth nationally” adjusts each salary for Austin’s cost of living, so you can compare offers between cities on equal terms.

Compare Austin with another city

What would your salary be worth in Austin?

What you earn (or want to compare)

Frequently asked questions

Austin has a cost-of-living index of 98 against a US average of 100, so it is about 2% below the national average. In practical terms, $100,000 of income in Austin has roughly the purchasing power of $101,972 at the national average.

A common benchmark is keeping rent at or under 30% of gross income. At Austin's median rent of $1,655/month that implies about $66,200 a year before tax. The median household in Austin earns $91,461.

Renting, a single household spends roughly $6,603 a month in Austin across housing, transport, food, healthcare and everything else. Buying at the median home price, the estimate is about $7,926 a month including a 30-year mortgage at 6.7% with 10% down.

The median home in Austin costs $512,700, which is 5.6x the median household income of $91,461. Lenders traditionally treat 3x as comfortable and about 5x as stretched, so Austin is expensive relative to local incomes.