Austin offers the jobs and city life of San Francisco but with Atlanta's cost of living. Here's how.

• Austin's cost of living is slightly below the national average, despite a surge in population.
• While housing costs have risen over the last decade, prices have corrected as the city built lots of homes.
• Austin is particularly attractive for new grads with the highest cost-of-living adjusted starting salary.

You might have heard Californians are moving to Texas. Austin, in particular, has become a magnet for Bay Area techies and others seeking a lower cost of living and slower pace of life, among other Texan perks.