Cost of Living: Austin, TX vs Arlington, TX

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,516/mo in Austin, TX versus $4,516/mo in Arlington, TX. In the model, rent is about 24.12% of gross in Austin, TX versus 20.25% in Arlington, TX, so Arlington, TX tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Austin, TX
$4,516/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Arlington, TX
$4,516/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Austin, TX
24.12%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Arlington, TX
20.25%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Austin, TX and Arlington, TX.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Arlington, TX
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Arlington, TX
  • Lower home prices: Arlington, TX
  • Higher median household income: Austin, TX

Cost of Living Index

Austin, TX: 112.7 (U.S. = 100) · Arlington, TX: 92.4 (U.S. = 100)

Arlington, TX has a lower cost-of-living index than Austin, TX, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Austin, TX: $1,573/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Arlington, TX: $1,320/mo

Median rent in Austin, TX is $253/mo higher than in Arlington, TX.

Median Home Price

Austin, TX: $512,700 · Arlington, TX: $276,400

Median home price in Austin, TX is $236,300 higher than in Arlington, TX.

Median Household Income

Austin, TX: $91,461 · Arlington, TX: $73,519

Austin, TX has a higher median household income than Arlington, TX by $17,942.

Austin, TX overview · Arlington, TX overview · Popular comparisons