Los Angeles vs Austin
Los Angeles, CA · Austin, TX
Austin is 30% cheaper than Los Angeles overall.
Home Price
Los: $860,000
Austin: $500,000
Monthly Rent
Los: $2,050/mo
Austin: $1,300/mo
COL Index
Los: 173
Austin: 121
Median Income
Los: $76,000
Austin: $83,800
Side-by-Side Comparison
Median Home Price
Monthly Rent (Median)
Median Household Income
Property Tax Rate
Cost of Living Index
100 = national average
Avg. Commute
Unemployment Rate
Median Age
What This Means For You
Buying Power
A $100,000 salary in Los Angeles has the same purchasing power as $69,942 in Austin — based on each city's cost of living index.
Housing
Homes in Austin cost 42% more (-$360,000 extra). Expect a larger mortgage and down payment.
Renting
Renting in Austin saves you $750/month — $9,000 per year. Median rent: $2,050/mo in Los Angeles vs $1,300/mo in Austin.
Property Taxes
On a median-priced home, Los Angeles owners pay roughly $6,278/year in property taxes vs $9,000/year in Austin. That's a $2,722 annual difference.
Local Earnings
Median household income is $76,000 in Los Angeles and $83,800 in Austin. Los Angeles residents earn 10% more — but remember to factor in cost of living.
Daily Commute
Average commute is 32 minutes in Los Angeles vs 27 minutes in Austin. Over a year, that's 2500 extra minutes (42 hours) of commuting in Los Angeles.
Salary Equivalence
To maintain the same lifestyle when moving from Los Angeles to Austin, here's the salary you'd need:
| Salary in Los Angeles | Equivalent in Austin | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $34,971 | -$15,029 |
| $75,000 | $52,457 | -$22,543 |
| $100,000 | $69,942 | -$30,058 |
| $150,000 | $104,913 | -$45,087 |
| $200,000 | $139,884 | -$60,116 |
* Calculated using cost of living indices (national average = 100). Does not account for state income tax differences.
Run the Numbers
Mortgage Calculator
See monthly payments for homes in either city
Rent vs Buy
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in these markets?
Cost of Living
Full cost of living comparison tool
Home Appreciation
Project future home value growth
Affordability Calculator
How much home can you afford?
Property Tax Calculator
Estimate taxes in Los Angeles or Austin
Los Angeles Calculators
Austin Calculators
Related Comparisons
Los Angeles vs Austin: Common Questions
Is Los Angeles or Austin cheaper to live in?
Based on cost of living indices, Austin is cheaper overall. Los Angeles has a COL index of 173 while Austin scores 121 (national average = 100).
How do home prices compare between Los Angeles and Austin?
The median home price in Los Angeles is $860,000 vs $500,000 in Austin — a difference of $360,000 (42%).
What salary do I need in Austin to match my Los Angeles income?
Use the salary equivalence table above. For example, a $100K salary in Los Angeles is equivalent to $69,942 in Austin in terms of purchasing power.
Which city has lower property taxes?
Los Angeles has a lower property tax rate (0.73% vs 1.8%). On a median-priced home, that means paying $6,278/year vs $9,000/year.
Cost of living data sourced from Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index, U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, and Zillow Research. Tax rates from Tax Foundation and state revenue agencies. Last updated: March 2025.