Cost of Living
Comparison by City
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.
Popular Comparisons
The most-searched city comparisons — click any pair for the full breakdown.
Most Expensive Metros
- 1San Francisco, CARPP 115.6$87/$100
- 2Miami, FLRPP 114.2$88/$100
- 3Los Angeles, CARPP 113.6$88/$100
- 4New York, NYRPP 112.6$89/$100
- 5San Diego, CARPP 111.9$89/$100
- 6Seattle, WARPP 111.1$90/$100
Most Affordable Metros
- 1El Paso, TXRPP 89.9$111/$100
- 2Oklahoma City, OKRPP 90.4$111/$100
- 3Birmingham, ALRPP 91.6$109/$100
- 4Des Moines, IARPP 91.7$109/$100
- 5Omaha, NERPP 91.9$109/$100
- 6Memphis, TNRPP 92.2$108/$100
What is RPP?
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.
Browse Every City Comparison
Pick a major metro, then compare it against any other city in the BEA dataset.
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All Cities
Pick any city to explore its price level and compare against any other metro. RPP is from the BEA (2024).
| City | State | Price Level (RPP) | Real Value of $100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | NM | 95.5 | $105 |
| Atlanta | GA | 100.1 | $100 |
| Austin | TX | 98.1 | $102 |
| Baltimore | MD | 104.5 | $96 |
| Birmingham | AL | 91.6 | $109 |
| Boise | ID | 98.4 | $102 |
| Boston | MA | 108.3 | $92 |
| Buffalo | NY | 95.8 | $104 |
| Charlotte | NC | 97.3 | $103 |
| Chicago | IL | 103.6 | $97 |
| Cincinnati | OH | 95.4 | $105 |
| Cleveland | OH | 93.9 | $107 |
| Colorado Springs | CO | 100.7 | $99 |
| Columbus | OH | 95.5 | $105 |
| Dallas | TX | 103.1 | $97 |
| Denver | CO | 105.8 | $95 |
| Des Moines | IA | 91.7 | $109 |
| Detroit | MI | 100.3 | $100 |
| El Paso | TX | 89.9 | $111 |
| Grand Rapids | MI | 95.5 | $105 |
| Honolulu | HI | 111 | $90 |
| Houston | TX | 98.6 | $101 |
| Indianapolis | IN | 95.7 | $104 |
| Kansas City | MO | 92.5 | $108 |
| Knoxville | TN | 92.6 | $108 |
| Las Vegas | NV | 100.2 | $100 |
| Los Angeles | CA | 113.6 | $88 |
| Louisville | KY | 93.1 | $107 |
| Memphis | TN | 92.2 | $108 |
| Miami | FL | 114.2 | $88 |
| Milwaukee | WI | 96.9 | $103 |
| Minneapolis | MN | 104.8 | $95 |
| Nashville | TN | 96.3 | $104 |
| New Orleans | LA | 92.6 | $108 |
| New York | NY | 112.6 | $89 |
| Oklahoma City | OK | 90.4 | $111 |
| Omaha | NE | 91.9 | $109 |
| Orlando | FL | 101.4 | $99 |
| Philadelphia | PA | 102.6 | $97 |
| Phoenix | AZ | 103.3 | $97 |
| Pittsburgh | PA | 94.7 | $106 |
| Portland | OR | 105.4 | $95 |
| Raleigh | NC | 98.2 | $102 |
| Reno | NV | 101 | $99 |
| Richmond | VA | 97.9 | $102 |
| Sacramento | CA | 106.7 | $94 |
| Salt Lake City | UT | 100.9 | $99 |
| San Antonio | TX | 94.7 | $106 |
| San Diego | CA | 111.9 | $89 |
| San Francisco | CA | 115.6 | $87 |
| San Jose | CA | 110.4 | $91 |
| Seattle | WA | 111.1 | $90 |
| St. Louis | MO | 95.1 | $105 |
| Tampa | FL | 100.9 | $99 |
| Tucson | AZ | 96.9 | $103 |
| Virginia Beach | VA | 97.9 | $102 |
| Washington | DC | 108.9 | $92 |
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by Metropolitan Area, 2024 (released February 2026). Real value of $100 reflects purchasing power relative to the national average.