Cost of Living: Austin, MN vs El Cajon, CA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,119/mo in Austin, MN versus $3,974/mo in El Cajon, CA. In the model, rent is about 12.53% of gross in Austin, MN versus 26.09% in El Cajon, CA, so Austin, MN tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Austin, MN
$4,119/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in El Cajon, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Austin, MN
12.53%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in El Cajon, CA
26.09%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Austin, MN and El Cajon, CA.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): El Cajon, CA
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Austin, MN
  • Lower home prices: Austin, MN
  • Higher median household income: Austin, MN

Cost of Living Index

Austin, MN: 100 (U.S. = 100) · El Cajon, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100)

Both cities have the same cost-of-living index (U.S. average = 100).

Median Rent

Austin, MN: $817/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · El Cajon, CA: $1,701/mo

Median rent in El Cajon, CA is $884/mo higher than in Austin, MN.

Median Home Price

Austin, MN: $155,100 · El Cajon, CA: $632,800

Median home price in El Cajon, CA is $477,700 higher than in Austin, MN.

Median Household Income

Austin, MN: $66,488 · El Cajon, CA: $66,478

Austin, MN has a higher median household income than El Cajon, CA by $10.

Austin, MN overview · El Cajon, CA overview · Popular comparisons