Cities Similar to Austin, TX

The top 10 most similar cities based on cost of living, home prices, rent, population, and region.

Cities similar to Austin, TX

1. Phoenix, AZ

1,608,139 people · Southwest

96% similar

COL Index

103.2

Home Price

$414K

Rent

$1,150/mo

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2. Dallas, TX

1,304,379 people · Southwest

95% similar

COL Index

101.0

Home Price

$292K

Rent

$1,100/mo

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3. Mesa, AZ

504,258 people · Southwest

95% similar

COL Index

103.0

Home Price

$395K

Rent

$1,100/mo

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4. Plano, TX

285,494 people · Southwest

94% similar

COL Index

106.0

Home Price

$496K

Rent

$1,300/mo

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5. Chandler, AZ

275,987 people · Southwest

94% similar

COL Index

106.0

Home Price

$472K

Rent

$1,250/mo

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6. Gilbert, AZ

267,918 people · Southwest

94% similar

COL Index

108.0

Home Price

$541K

Rent

$1,300/mo

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7. Frisco, TX

225,007 people · Southwest

94% similar

COL Index

N/A

Home Price

$661K

Rent

N/A

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8. Houston, TX

2,304,580 people · Southwest

94% similar

COL Index

96.5

Home Price

$245K

Rent

$1,100/mo

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9. McKinney, TX

213,509 people · Southwest

93% similar

COL Index

N/A

Home Price

N/A

Rent

N/A

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10. Fort Worth, TX

918,915 people · Southwest

93% similar

COL Index

95.0

Home Price

$263K

Rent

$1,000/mo

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How We Find Cities Similar to Austin

Our similarity algorithm compares Austin, TX against every other city in our database across multiple dimensions: cost of living index, median home price, average rent, population size, and geographic region. Each factor is weighted and normalized, then combined into a single similarity score from 0–100%.

Cities with high similarity scores share a comparable financial profile to Austin — meaning your dollar goes about as far, housing costs are in the same ballpark, and the overall lifestyle cost is similar. This is useful if you love Austin but want to explore other options with a similar feel and price point, or if you’re relocating and want to understand which cities offer a comparable standard of living.

Click on any city in the results to see a detailed cost of living comparison, including category-by-category breakdowns for housing, groceries, transportation, healthcare, and more. You can also adjust the search to find cities similar to any location in the United States.