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Buffalo, NY Cost Of Living

The latest cost of living statistics for Buffalo. Includes statistics on rent, mortgages, healthcare, and other costs for Buffalo compared to the state and national averages.

Chris Kolmar
Written by
HomeSnacks
Last updated
2026-06-20

Cost of living in Buffalo, New York

Cost of living in Buffalo research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Buffalo is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.

On a city-by-city basis in New York, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:

97 Cost of living index 1.0x lower vs US
#39 Cheapest in New York (of 336)
#2,094 Cheapest in the U.S. (of 6,489)
$238,088 Median home value
$1,046 Median rent
$50,041 Median income
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What is the cost of living in Buffalo, NY?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Buffalo has an overall cost of living index of 97, which is 1.0x lower than the national index of 100.

Compared to New York, Buffalo has a cost of living index that's 0.8x lower than New York's index of 121.

The standard of living in Buffalo ranks as #39 most affordable out of the 336 places we measured in New York. By definition, that implies Buffalo ranks as the #297 most expensive place in the Empire State.

For more reading on life in Buffalo, check out:

Buffalo Cost Of Living Vs. New York

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Buffalo. Here is how it fares on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Buffalo is 110.

  • The Groceries index in Buffalo is 108.

  • The Health index in Buffalo is 65.

  • The Housing index in Buffalo is 118.

  • The Transportation index in Buffalo is 114.

  • The Utilities index in Buffalo is 114.

Living Expense Buffalo New York National Average
Overall 97 121 100
Services 110 105 100
Groceries 108 108 100
Health 65 143 100
Housing 118 112 100
Transportation 114 114 100
Utilities 114 111 100

Buffalo Cost Of Living Compared To New York Averages

Services
Buffalo 110
New York avg 105
Groceries
Buffalo 108
New York avg 108
Health
Buffalo 65
New York avg 143
Housing
Buffalo 118
New York avg 112
Transportation
Buffalo 114
New York avg 114
Utilities
Buffalo 114
New York avg 111

Index where 100 = national average. Source: cost-of-living index 2026.

For more reading on cost of living around New York, check out:

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Source: Cost-of-living index 2026, normalized to US average = 100

Buffalo, NY Housing Cost Breakdown

$238,088Median Home Value
$1,046Median Rent
$50,041Median Income

Housing swings affordability the most between places in New York, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2020-2024. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Buffalo is $238,088.

  • The Median Rent in Buffalo is $1,046.

  • The Median Income in Buffalo is $50,041.

  • The Home Value To Income in Buffalo is 4.8x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Buffalo is 0.25x.

Statistic Buffalo New York United States
Median Home Value $238,088 $507,794 $332,700
Median Rent $1,046 $1,621 $1,413
Median Income $50,041 $85,974 $80,734
Home Value To Income 4.8x 5.9x 4.1x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.25x 0.23x 0.21x

Buffalo, NY Costs By Category

Detailed Buffalo Services costs vs. New York
Item Buffalo New York
Shampoo $1.3 $1.28
Movie $12.76 $12.13
Bowling $14.6 $18
Haircut $21.65 $24.26
Beauty Salon $53.07 $45.56
Detailed Buffalo Groceries costs vs. New York
Item Buffalo New York
Ground Beef $6.16 $5.84
Fried Chicken $1.39 $1.57
Milk $4.67 $4.67
Potatoes $5.26 $4.93
Pizza $10.99 $12.09
Beer $10.47 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.61 $3.7
Detailed Buffalo Health costs vs. New York
Item Buffalo New York
Optometrist $75.93 $125.68
Doctor $103.92 $135.78
Dentist $149.67 $113.29
Detailed Buffalo Transportation costs vs. New York
Item Buffalo New York
Gasoline $3.46 $3.46
Tire Balancing $48.79 $59.92
Detailed Buffalo Utilities costs vs. New York
Item Buffalo New York
All Electricity $173.44 $193.99
Phone $195.54 $192.25

Buffalo SnackAbility

5Overall SnackAbility
Jobs 4/10
Housing 6/10
Affordability 6/10
Diversity 10/10
Safety 3/10
Amenities 10/10
Education 7/10
Commute 8.5/10

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Buffalo

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Buffalo. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Cheektowaga, NY has a cost of living index of 98, 1.0x Buffalo.

  • West Seneca, NY has a cost of living index of 104, 1.1x Buffalo.

  • Lackawanna, NY has a cost of living index of 93, 1.0x Buffalo.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Buffalo
Cheektowaga, NY 76,056 98 1.0x
West Seneca, NY 45,303 104 1.1x
Lackawanna, NY 19,753 93 1.0x
Kenmore, NY 15,044 105 1.1x
Depew, NY 15,000 102 1.1x
Eggertsville, NY 14,894 104 1.1x
Lancaster, NY 10,113 100 1.0x
Hamburg, NY 9,792 104 1.1x
Harris Hill, NY 6,069 121 1.2x
East Aurora, NY 5,993 114 1.2x
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