San Francisco vs. Austin: Salary & Cost of Living
Relocating from San Francisco to Austin is one of the most common moves in tech. Here is what a $200,000 San Francisco salary is worth in Austin once housing, goods, healthcare, and state taxes are taken into account.
Equivalent salary
A $200,000 salary in San Francisco is worth about $131,031 in Austin to maintain the same standard of living.
| Category | San Francisco | Austin | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | 269 | 142 | -47% |
| Utilities | 162 | 115 | -29% |
| Transportation | 176 | 119 | -32% |
| Groceries | 149 | 112 | -25% |
| Healthcare | 140 | 110 | -21% |
| Childcare | 198 | 124 | -37% |
| Dining Out | 180 | 120 | -33% |
| Entertainment | 171 | 118 | -31% |
| Insurance | 153 | 113 | -26% |
| Consumer Goods | 145 | 111 | -23% |
State income tax: San Francisco 9.3% vs. Austin 0%.
Median rent (2BR): $4,710 in San Francisco vs. $2,490 in Austin. Median home price: $1,130,000 vs. $596,000.
Austin is about 34% cheaper than San Francisco. Keeping your current salary there delivers a real purchasing-power gain of roughly $68,969 a year. Austin also has a state income tax about 9.3 points lower, adding to your take-home advantage.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Austin cheaper than San Francisco?
- Yes — Austin is meaningfully cheaper than San Francisco, driven mostly by housing. Texas also has no state income tax, while California taxes high earners heavily, so the take-home advantage of an Austin move is even larger than the cost-of-living gap alone suggests.
- What salary do I need in Austin to match San Francisco?
- Because Austin costs less across nearly every category, you can maintain the same standard of living on a lower nominal salary than you earn in San Francisco. Use the calculator above to model your exact number, including the state-tax difference.
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