Cost comparison
Compare Cities
Compare rent, housing, utilities, groceries, salary needs, and move score across the city profiles currently available in LifeAtlas.
Utica salary needed$77,900
Buffalo salary needed$95,000
Buffalo rent difference+$33
Buffalo score difference-1
New York
Utica
Utica is a lower-cost upstate regional market in New York, useful for starter comparisons around rent, housing, utilities, wages, benefits, insurance, and moving costs.
- Median rent: $1,357
- Home price: $205,924
- Salary needed: $77,900
- Move score: 66/100
New York
Buffalo
Buffalo is the Western New York affordability comparison market, where housing value, healthcare employment, winter utilities, and neighborhood fit shape the household budget.
- Median rent: $1,390
- Home price: $241,380
- Salary needed: $95,000
- Move score: 65/100
Comparison
Utica vs Buffalo
Utica has the lower salary-needed estimate, while Utica has the lower starter rent. Differences are shown as Buffalo minus Utica.
| Metric | Utica | Buffalo | Difference | Advantage | Why |
|---|
| Median rent | $1,357 | $1,390 | +$33 | Utica | Utica has the lower median rent. |
| Home price | $205,924 | $241,380 | +$35,456 | Utica | Utica has the lower home price. |
| Utilities | $248/mo | $230/mo | -$18/mo | Buffalo | Buffalo has the lower utilities. |
| Groceries index | 117 | 112 | -5 | Buffalo | Buffalo has the lower groceries index. |
| Salary needed | $77,900 | $95,000 | +$17,100 | Utica | Utica has the lower salary needed. |
| Move score | 66/100 | 65/100 | -1 | Utica | Utica has the higher move score. |