Median rent is 10% lower in Cleveland ($945/mo vs $1,046/mo). Buying is cheaper in Cleveland, where the median home runs $102,000 versus $164,200. Households earn more in Buffalo ($50,041 vs $40,801 a year).
City A
Buffalo, NY
City B
Cleveland, OH
How much would you need to earn in Cleveland, OH to maintain your standard of living from Buffalo, NY?
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
Buffalo
New York
Cleveland
Ohio
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 Cleveland at $945/mo compared to $1,046/mo in Buffalo (10% gap). Home buyers face a steeper market in Buffalo: the median home is $164,200 versus $102,000 in Cleveland — 38% more expensive.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Buffalo
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Cleveland
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Air quality data is available for Buffalo (avg AQI 54.0) but not yet for Cleveland.
Pick Buffalo if you prioritize higher median household income ($50,041/yr).
Is Buffalo cheaper than Cleveland?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Buffalo vs Cleveland?
Median rent is $1,046/mo in Buffalo, NY and $945/mo in Cleveland, OH. Cleveland, OH has the lower rent by about 10%.
Which has higher salaries — Buffalo or Cleveland?
Median household income is $50,041 in Buffalo, NY and $40,801 in Cleveland, OH. Buffalo, NY has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Air quality data is not yet available for one or both cities.
Which has lower taxes — Buffalo or Cleveland?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Cleveland to match my Buffalo income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
