Compare the true cost of living between any two major US metros using price data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. See the equivalent salary you'd need, a category-by-category breakdown, and the housing gap.
The most-searched city comparisons — click any pair for the full breakdown.
The Regional Price Parity (RPP) is the BEA's all-items price index where 100 = the US national average. An RPP of 118 means prices are 18% above the national average. The "Real Value of $100" is the purchasing power equivalent — in a city with RPP 85, $100 buys what $117.65 would at the national average. Housing rents are the single biggest driver of cross-city RPP spread.
Pick a major metro, then compare it against any other city in the BEA dataset.
Pick any city to explore its price level and compare against any other metro. RPP is from the BEA (2023).
| City | State | Price Level (RPP) | Real Value of $100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | NM | 93 | $108 |
| Atlanta | GA | 100.9 | $99 |
| Austin | TX | 97.6 | $102 |
| Baltimore | MD | 102.7 | $97 |
| Birmingham | AL | 92.6 | $108 |
| Boise | ID | 93.4 | $107 |
| Boston | MA | 111.6 | $90 |
| Buffalo | NY | 94.4 | $106 |
| Charlotte | NC | 97 | $103 |
| Chicago | IL | 102.6 | $98 |
| Cincinnati | OH | 94.1 | $106 |
| Cleveland | OH | 93 | $107 |
| Colorado Springs | CO | 97.4 | $103 |
| Columbus | OH | 94.5 | $106 |
| Dallas | TX | 103.3 | $97 |
| Denver | CO | 105.5 | $95 |
| Des Moines | IA | 92.7 | $108 |
| Detroit | MI | 98 | $102 |
| El Paso | TX | 90.2 | $111 |
| Grand Rapids | MI | 95.2 | $105 |
| Honolulu | HI | 110.2 | $91 |
| Houston | TX | 100.2 | $100 |
| Indianapolis | IN | 94.6 | $106 |
| Kansas City | MO | 93.3 | $107 |
| Knoxville | TN | 92.8 | $108 |
| Las Vegas | NV | 97.4 | $103 |
| Los Angeles | CA | 115.5 | $87 |
| Louisville | KY | 94 | $106 |
| Memphis | TN | 92.4 | $108 |
| Miami | FL | 111.8 | $89 |
| Milwaukee | WI | 95.5 | $105 |
| Minneapolis | MN | 104.5 | $96 |
| Nashville | TN | 97.4 | $103 |
| New Orleans | LA | 91.1 | $110 |
| New York | NY | 112.5 | $89 |
| Oklahoma City | OK | 91 | $110 |
| Omaha | NE | 92.5 | $108 |
| Orlando | FL | 101.1 | $99 |
| Philadelphia | PA | 103.6 | $97 |
| Phoenix | AZ | 105.5 | $95 |
| Pittsburgh | PA | 94.4 | $106 |
| Portland | OR | 106.6 | $94 |
| Raleigh | NC | 98 | $102 |
| Reno | NV | 97.4 | $103 |
| Richmond | VA | 98 | $102 |
| Sacramento | CA | 108.9 | $92 |
| Salt Lake City | UT | 96.4 | $104 |
| San Antonio | TX | 93.7 | $107 |
| San Diego | CA | 111.5 | $90 |
| San Francisco | CA | 118.2 | $85 |
| San Jose | CA | 112.9 | $89 |
| Seattle | WA | 113 | $89 |
| St. Louis | MO | 96.3 | $104 |
| Tampa | FL | 103.4 | $97 |
| Tucson | AZ | 94.3 | $106 |
| Virginia Beach | VA | 97.4 | $103 |
| Washington | DC | 108.6 | $92 |
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by Metropolitan Area, 2023 (most recent metro-level release). Real value of $100 reflects purchasing power relative to the national average.
