Cost of Living: Buffalo, NY vs Rochester, NY

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,116/mo in Buffalo, NY versus $4,116/mo in Rochester, NY. In the model, rent is about 14.42% of gross in Buffalo, NY versus 15.14% in Rochester, NY, so Buffalo, NY tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Buffalo, NY
$4,116/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Rochester, NY
$4,116/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Buffalo, NY
14.42%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Rochester, NY
15.14%
COLI tier: lower-cost

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Buffalo, NY and Rochester, NY.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Rochester, NY
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Buffalo, NY
  • Lower home prices: Rochester, NY
  • Higher median household income: Buffalo, NY

Cost of Living Index

Buffalo, NY: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Rochester, NY: 88.4 (U.S. = 100)

Rochester, NY has a lower cost-of-living index than Buffalo, NY, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Buffalo, NY: $940/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Rochester, NY: $987/mo

Median rent in Rochester, NY is $47/mo higher than in Buffalo, NY.

Median Home Price

Buffalo, NY: $152,300 · Rochester, NY: $120,600

Median home price in Buffalo, NY is $31,700 higher than in Rochester, NY.

Median Household Income

Buffalo, NY: $48,050 · Rochester, NY: $46,628

Buffalo, NY has a higher median household income than Rochester, NY by $1,422.

Buffalo, NY overview · Rochester, NY overview · Popular comparisons