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Cost of living in Austin, TX

Compared with New York. Change city

$1,624a month less for the typical home than in New York1,2

That's $19,490 a year, enough to cover 7 months of the mortgage in Austin. The average commute is 7 minutes shorter each way, about 1.2 hours a week back4.

Typical home $446,450 vs $742,000. 2-bedroom rent3 $1,836 vs $1,997. See the math

By Sol Lakein.Checked October 2026.How we compare costs

Austin skyline at sunrise, AustinJustin Wallace / Unsplash
All cities
  • Big-city lifeTech employers
  • College townUniversity of Texas at Austin

Austin at a glance, next to New York

5

What the median home costs each month

1,2
New York metro$4,078/mo
$742,000 typical home
Austin$2,453/mo
$446,450 typical home

If you rent: median 2-bedroom

3
New York metro$1,997/mo
Austin$1,836/mo
About $161 a month less in rent
Rent by apartment size in Austin

Day-to-day costs

  • Housing costs620% pricier than averageNew York: 49% above
  • Salary that matches $150,000 in New York6$130,681
  • Net move-ins from other US metros, 2024-257+19,860
Austin in a paragraph

The median listed home in Austin is $446,450 (Realtor.com, September 2026), 6% above the US median of $419,250. With 20% down at 7.32%, principal and interest come to about $2,453 a month. The median 2-bedroom rent is $1,836 a month, utilities included (Census, 2025). Everyday prices index at 98.1, where the US average is 100 (BEA, 2024). A $150,000 salary in New York buys the same as $130,681 here.

Weather

9
  • 41.8°January low
  • 96.6°July high
  • 0.2 inSnow per year

Home prices next to New York

1
Typical home for sale
New York metro$742,000
Austin$446,450
40% less, a $295,550 difference
Price per square foot
New York metro$494
Austin$228
2.2 times the space for the money

Your New York, in Austin

The places you use now, matched to their closest counterpart.

  • Big city park
    In New YorkCentral Park
    In AustinZilker Metropolitan Park351 acres; includes Zilker Botanical Garden, the Zilker Hillside Theater and the Umlauf Sculpture Garden (2016 park map)
  • Walking and biking trail
    In New YorkThe High Line and Hudson River Greenway
    In AustinAnn and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail at Lady Bird Lake10-mile urban trail; a 1.1-mile boardwalk finished in 2014 closed the gap east and west of I-35
  • Art museum
    In New YorkThe Met
    In AustinBlanton Museum of ArtPermanent collection of over 21,000 works
  • Natural history museum
    In New YorkAmerican Museum of Natural History
    In AustinTexas Science and Natural History Museum2400 Trinity Street on the University of Texas campus, in an Art Deco building completed in 1937
Show 6 more matches
  • Broadway and the symphony
    In New YorkBroadway and Lincoln Center
    In AustinBass Concert Hall (Texas Performing Arts)Hosts the Broadway Series presented by Broadway Across America, Austin
  • Food hall
    In New YorkChelsea Market
    In AustinFareground111 Congress Avenue in the One Eleven Congress tower; lists 10 eat and drink concepts and two full-service bars, plus outdoor plaza space
  • Office and career hub
    In New YorkMidtown and the Financial District
    In AustinDowntown Austin131,833 employees and 15,000+ hotel rooms (Key Statistics, Downtown Austin 2024 to 2025)
  • Neighborhood main street
    In New YorkA Brooklyn neighborhood main street
    In AustinSouth Congress AvenueBegins at the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge over the Colorado River and runs due south
  • Big-league stadium
    In New YorkYankee Stadium (home of NYCFC)
    In AustinQ2 StadiumCapacity 20,738; opened June 16, 2021 at 10414 McKalla Place in North Austin
  • Nature day trip
    In New YorkThe Hudson Valley
    In AustinEnchanted Rock State Natural Area425-foot pink granite dome; nearly 22 miles of hiking trails plus 11 miles of new backcountry trails

See how Austin ranks for your household

Answer a few quick questions and see how Austin ranks against 53 other cities for your household.

See how Austin ranks for you

Is Austin a good place to live?

Austin fits families who want prices 2% below the US average and mild winters. The main trade-off is homes list 6% above the US median. Here is what you gain and what you give up.

What you gain

  • Prices 2% below the US averageEveryday prices, rent included, index at 98.1 against a US average of 100.BEA regional price parities, 2024
  • Mild wintersJanuary lows average 41.8°F with 0.2 inches of snow a year.NOAA 1991-2020 normals
  • Nonstop flights to New YorkFrom AUS to JFK, EWR.Airport route page, June 2026
  • People are moving in19,860 more people moved here from other US metros than left, July 2024 to July 2025.US Census Bureau, Vintage 2025
  • University townUniversity of Texas at AustinSlower Sundays city profile

What you trade

  • Homes list 6% above the US median$446,450 median listing against $419,250 nationally.Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026
  • Hot summersJuly highs average 96.6°F.NOAA 1991-2020 normals

Is Austin a good place to live? Read the full pros and cons

More on Austin and Texas

Show 7 links

Austin cost of living: questions people ask

What is the cost of living in Austin, TX?

The median listed home in Austin is $446,450 (Realtor.com, September 2026), 6% above the US median of $419,250. With 20% down at 7.32%, principal and interest come to about $2,453 a month. The median 2-bedroom rent is $1,836 a month, utilities included (Census, 2025). Everyday prices index at 98.1, where the US average is 100 (BEA, 2024). A $150,000 salary in New York buys the same as $130,681 here.

How much would I save moving from New York to Austin?

The median listed home is $446,450 in Austin against $742,000 in the New York metro, 40% less. On a mortgage for each median home, that is about $1,624 a month less in principal and interest (20% down, 7.32%, Freddie Mac, October 22, 2026).

How much is rent in Austin?

The median gross rent for a 2-bedroom in the Austin metro is $1,836 a month, including utilities the renter pays (Census American Community Survey, 2025). In the New York metro it is $1,997, $161 more. The US median is $1,563.

What salary in Austin matches $150,000 in New York?

$130,681. That is $150,000 adjusted by the BEA regional price parities for both metros (98.1 in Austin, 112.6 in New York, 2024).

Does Austin pay you to move there?

None of the relocation incentive programs we track cover Austin as of October 2026.

What is the weather like in Austin?

January lows average 41.8°F and July highs 96.6°F, with 0.2 inches of snow a year (NOAA 1991-2020 normals, Camp Mabry).

Notes on the numbers
  1. 1Home prices: the typical home is the median listing price, with price per square foot, from Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026. The comparison metro uses the same series and month.
  2. 2Monthly cost: Principal and interest on the median listed home with 20% down, 30-year fixed at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026). Excludes taxes, insurance and HOA. Rate source
  3. 3Rent: Census ACS 2025 1-year, median gross rent for 2-bedroom units (rent plus utilities). Covers all renters, including long-time tenants, not only new leases. Census table
  4. 4Commute: Census ACS 2025 1-year, table S0801, mean travel time to work (one way, workers who do not work from home), 2025. Hours back assume a 5-day round trip. Census table
  5. 5At a glance: a difference within 5% counts as about the same.
  6. 6Everyday prices, housing costs and the matching salary: BEA regional price parities, 2024, US = 100.
  7. 7Net move-ins: Census Vintage 2025, via Regions Financial.
  8. 8Flights: airport route pages, October 2026.
  9. 9Weather: NOAA 1991-2020 normals, Camp Mabry.
Sources for this page