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 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.
