5 Cities for $500,000: How London Flats Compare to U.S. City Charm

— -- If you thought New York City was expensive, try buying a home in London. How much does $500,000 buy in New York versus London? How about Chicago, San Francisco and Austin?

In Photos: Celebrity Homes On the Market

Take a look at these properties listed for about $500,000 in five cities. Which do you think is the best bang for your hard-earned buck?

1. London

Could consider a move to London. Sure, they drive on the other side of the road, but you could get by with your English-language skills.

This three-bedroom "semi-detached house" is listed for 290,000 British pounds, or about $500,000. The home has a "well-maintained" rear garden and garage on a "quiet residential road," the listing states.

This one-bedroom "flat" is on the ground floor of a converted Victorian building. The listing boasts of a "new kitchen and bathroom."

2. Austin, Texas

This six-bedroom, four-bathroom stone home in Austin, Texas, has a three-car garage and game room. The $499,990 home spans 3,669-sq. ft. The homeowners' association offers amenities that include three activity centers with pools, tennis courts and playgrounds.

If six bedrooms is too much for you, how about this remodeled four-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom home in Austin, Texas? The home has an attic, fireplace, fenced yard and an attached garage. It's listed for $485,000.

3. San Francisco, California

"Perched atop Twin Peaks" in San Francisco, California, this one-bedroom, one-bathroom home on Portola Drive spans 806 square feet. It's listed for $490,000.

Need a little more space? How's a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment that spans 1,480 square feet? The top floor unit of this Utah Street building in San Francisco "overlooks street trees through tall dual glazed windows," the listing states.

4. Chicago, Illinois

This three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in Chicago is listed for $499,900. The penthouse duplex spans 2,000 square feet. The home has two balconies, a fireplace and a private deck. Included in the price are two tandem parking spaces.

This three-bedroom, two-bathroom home on N. Mohawk Street in Chicago is listed for $499,000. The three-level town home includes a private deck and assigned parking space.

5. New York, New York

This top-floor studio in a 16-story elevator building has one bathroom. In the tony Upper East Side of Manhattan, "The Eastmore is a full service building with a lovely roof deck, laundry facilities, parking garage and a live-in resident manager," the listing states.

This one-bedroom, one-bathroom home spans only 550 square feet, but it's located in the hip Chelsea neighborhood that borders the chic West Village of Manhattan. The sale price was recently lowered $30,000 to $499,000. "An entrance foyer with plenty of closets leads you to a spacious windowed living room and juliette balcony overlooking a quiet landscaped inner courtyard," the listing states. The $1,204 monthly maintenance fee should no doubt help maintain chic landscaping.