Median rent is 12% lower in Rio Rancho ($1,514/mo vs $1,729/mo). Buying is cheaper in Rio Rancho, where the median home runs $310,200 versus $555,300. Households earn more in Austin ($93,658 vs $89,596 a year).
City A
Austin, TX
City B
Rio Rancho, NM
How much would you need to earn in Rio Rancho, NM to maintain your standard of living from Austin, TX?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
Austin
Texas
Rio Rancho
New Mexico
Population
Median Household Income
Annual
Median Gross Rent
Per month
Median Home Value
Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rent is modestly lower in Rio Rancho at $1,514/mo compared to $1,729/mo in Austin (12% gap). Home buyers face a steeper market in Austin: the median home is $555,300 versus $310,200 in Rio Rancho — 44% more expensive.
Metric
Austin
Rio Rancho
Software Developer
Registered Nurse
Elementary Teacher
Electrician
Accountant
Higher wage highlighted · BLS OEWS 2023 (metro-level data)
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Austin
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Rio Rancho
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Air quality data is available for Austin (avg AQI 65.0) but not yet for Rio Rancho.
Pick Rio Rancho if you prioritize cheaper rent ($1,514/mo median).
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
Median rent is $1,729/mo in Austin, TX and $1,514/mo in Rio Rancho, NM. Rio Rancho, NM has the lower rent by about 12%.
Median household income is $93,658 in Austin, TX and $89,596 in Rio Rancho, NM. Austin, TX has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Air quality data is not yet available for one or both cities.
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: June 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
