City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Albuquerque | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,014/mo | $1,235/mo | 17.9% lower in A |
| Median home value | $246,000 | $235,000 | 4.7% higher in A |
| Median household income | $61,503 | $60,440 | 1.8% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 100.2 | 97.7 | 2.5% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 118.8 | 106.5 | 11.6% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 96.6 | 97.3 | 0.7% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 93.2 | 90.9 | 2.5% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Albuquerque, you'd need $106,285 in Houston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Albuquerque, NM is about 5.9% cheaper overall than Houston, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 18% lower in Albuquerque than in Houston. If you earn $80,000 in Albuquerque, you'd need about $85,028 in Houston to keep the same standard of living.