Cost comparison
Compare rent, housing, utilities, groceries, salary needs, and move score across the city profiles currently available in LifeAtlas.
Texas
Irving is a supplemental starter city profile for the Dallas-Fort Worth jobs and commuter market in Texas, useful for route coverage and starter comparisons around rent, housing, utilities, wages, benefits, insurance, and moving costs.
Texas
Austin is the higher-cost Texas launch market: strong jobs and lifestyle demand make housing, utilities, insurance, and salary fit the core budget questions to verify before moving.
Comparison
Austin has the lower salary-needed estimate, while Austin has the lower starter rent. Differences are shown as Austin minus Irving.
| Metric | Irving | Austin | Difference | Advantage | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,583 | $1,567 | -$16 | Austin | Austin has the lower median rent. |
| Home price | $344,888 | $511,264 | +$166,376 | Irving | Irving has the lower home price. |
| Utilities | $277/mo | $379/mo | +$102/mo | Irving | Irving has the lower utilities. |
| Groceries index | 97 | 89 | -8 | Austin | Austin has the lower groceries index. |
| Salary needed | $63,652 | $62,680 | -$972 | Austin | Austin has the lower salary needed. |
| Move score | 81/100 | 78/100 | -3 | Irving | Irving has the higher move score. |