Route comparison
Cleveland, OH vs Buffalo, NY: Cost of Living
Compare the cost of living between Cleveland, OH and Buffalo, NY. See the equivalent salary and median rent powered by BLS Regional Price Parities.
Cleveland, OH
OH
- Overall RPP (US=100)
- 93.1
- Housing RPP
- 82.7
- Goods RPP
- 92.1
- 2-BR median rent
- $1,108/mo
Ohio income tax 0%-3.75%. Cleveland city income tax 2.5%.
Buffalo, NY
NY
- Overall RPP (US=100)
- 93.9
- Housing RPP
- 78.7
- Goods RPP
- 96.4
- 2-BR median rent
- $1,163/mo
New York state income tax 4%-10.9%.
Equivalent salary
Buffalo, NY is more expensive than Cleveland, OH by about 0.9% (RPP 93.1 to 93.9).
$60,000 in Cleveland, OH
-> $60,516
in Buffalo, NY
$100,000 in Cleveland, OH
-> $100,859
in Buffalo, NY
$150,000 in Cleveland, OH
-> $151,289
in Buffalo, NY
This tool provides estimates only. Equivalent-salary figures are derived from BLS Regional Price Parities (RPP) and HUD Fair Market Rents — they are averages, not guarantees. Actual cost of living varies by neighborhood, lifestyle, and individual circumstances. Not financial advice.
Migration signal: Cleveland, OH vs Buffalo, NY
IRS tax-return migration · 2021-2022Cleveland, OH
- Net people
- −4,299
- Net rank
- #42 of 65
- Top origin share
- 7%
- Top destination share
- 8%
Largest source: Summit County, OH. Largest destination: Summit County, OH.
Buffalo, NY
- Net people
- −3,749
- Net rank
- #40 of 65
- Top origin share
- 5%
- Top destination share
- 3%
Largest source: Queens County, NY. Largest destination: Monroe County, NY.
Rent delta: Buffalo, NY is $55/mo higher for HUD FY2024 2-BR FMR than Cleveland, OH. Housing RPP moves from 82.7 to 78.7.
Migration figures are derived from IRS SOI county-to-county migration data for 2021-2022, mapped to metros via Census CBSA delineation. Small county-to-county flows are IRS-suppressed, so per-metro totals are lower bounds. Source: IRS SOI migration data.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Buffalo, NY cheaper or more expensive than Cleveland, OH?
- Buffalo, NY (RPP 93.9) is more expensive than Cleveland, OH (RPP 93.1) by about 0.9%.
- What salary do I need in Buffalo, NY if I earn $100,000 in Cleveland, OH?
- You would need approximately $100,859 in Buffalo, NY to maintain the same purchasing power as $100,000 in Cleveland, OH. Formula: $100,000 x (93.9 / 93.1).
- Which metro had stronger net migration, Cleveland, OH or Buffalo, NY?
- For 2021-2022, Cleveland, OH had a net loss of 4,299 people, while Buffalo, NY had a net loss of 3,749 people. IRS small-flow suppression means these are lower-bound research signals, not complete population-change totals.