Overall
- Abilene
- 90.4
- Elizabethtown
- 90.6
Diff +0.2 RPP
Abilene vs Elizabethtown
Cost of living comparison based on BEA Regional Price Parities. Elizabethtown is 0.2% more expensive than Abilene.
0.2% more expensive
Elizabethtown, KY is 0.2% more expensive than Abilene, TX on BEA Regional Price Parities (overall RPP 90.6 vs 90.4). A $100,000 salary in Abilene buys about the same as $100,230 in Elizabethtown; the largest component gap is rents.
- Overall RPP 90.4 (Abilene) vs 90.6 (Elizabethtown)
- $100k in Abilene ≈ $100,230 purchasing power in Elizabethtown
- Rents drives the gap (-7.1 RPP points)
RPP parity plate
Pair TX:KY 90.4→90.6
PHOTO-FINISH · CROSS-STATE · SPLIT-BUDGET · BOTH-BELOW · PP-PAR
- PHOTO-FINISH Photo finish
- CROSS-STATE TX × KY
- SPLIT-BUDGET Split budget
- BOTH-BELOW Both below 100
- PP-PAR PP near-par
Instrument codes from this pair's BEA Regional Price Parities (overall · goods · services · rents · national benchmark 100 · purchasing-power conversion), not a ranking or recommendation.
Abilene
90.4
Cost Index
Elizabethtown
90.6
Cost Index
What This Comparison Actually Tells You
Abilene, TX and Elizabethtown, KY are a photo finish on overall price level, only 0.2 RPP points apart. A salary conversion is therefore a fine adjustment, not evidence of a fundamentally different cost regime.
Rents creates the largest separation: Elizabethtown is 7.1 points lower. But rents and services move against the overall direction, so this is a split budget rather than a clean across-the-board winner.
Comparable population context is incomplete for this pair, so no market-scale explanation is inferred from the price indexes.
Both metros remain below the U.S. benchmark of 100. This comparison chooses between two below-average price levels; “more expensive” here does not mean nationally expensive.
For a housing-sensitive move, validate the rent gap first: HUD Fair Market Rent and the actual unit size can overturn what the blended index implies. On the BEA ratio alone, $100,000 in Abilene corresponds to $100,230 in Elizabethtown.
Category Breakdown
Goods
- Abilene
- 93.8
- Elizabethtown
- 96.2
Diff +2.5 RPP
Services
- Abilene
- 81.2
- Elizabethtown
- 74.6
Diff -6.6 RPP
Rents
- Abilene
- 73.8
- Elizabethtown
- 66.7
Diff -7.1 RPP
| Category | Abilene | Elizabethtown | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 90.4 | 90.6 | +0.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.2 | +2.5 |
| Services | 81.2 | 74.6 | -6.6 |
| Rents | 73.8 | 66.7 | -7.1 |
Visual Comparison
Overall
Abilene 90.4
Elizabethtown 90.6
Goods
Abilene 93.8
Elizabethtown 96.2
Services
Abilene 81.2
Elizabethtown 74.6
Rents
Abilene 73.8
Elizabethtown 66.7
Vertical line = national average (100)
Salary Equivalents
What a salary in Abilene would need to be in Elizabethtown for the same purchasing power:
| In Abilene | In Elizabethtown | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $50,115 | +$115 |
| $75,000 | $75,173 | +$173 |
| $100,000 | $100,230 | +$230 |
| $150,000 | $150,345 | +$345 |
$ in Abilene = in Elizabethtown
Same BEA Regional Price Parity ratio as the table above (90.4 → 90.6), computed live from your number, nothing is sent anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Elizabethtown more expensive than Abilene?
Elizabethtown is 0.2% more expensive than Abilene. The overall cost index is 90.6 vs 90.4 (national average = 100).
What salary in Elizabethtown equals $100K in Abilene?
A $100,000 salary in Abilene has the same purchasing power as $100,230 in Elizabethtown. This is based on the BEA Regional Price Parity indexes.
How do rents compare between Abilene and Elizabethtown?
Rents in Abilene are indexed at 73.8 while Elizabethtown is at 66.7 (national average = 100). Abilene has higher rents.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.