Travis County · Texas
Cost of living in Austin, TX
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Living in Austin, TX costs 1.9% below the national average — an all-items price level of 98.1. To match the buying power of a $100,000 national-average salary you would need about $98,066 here.
- All items
- 98.1US average = 100
- Housing
- 120.420.4% above the national average
- Goods
- 93.86.2% below the national average
- Other services
- 96.23.8% below the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 93.8 | -6.2% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 120.4 | +20.4% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 82.0 | -18.0% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 96.2 | -3.8% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
What your salary is worth in Austin, TX
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (98.1 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $93,265
- Needed to match US average
- $89,692
- Monthly difference
- $-147
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
The median household in Austin earns $91,461. Deflated by the local price level, that is $93,265 in national-average dollars — the BEA calls this real income, and it is simply income × 100 ÷ 98.1.
More on Austin
Same city, other datasets.
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.