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 | Alexandria | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $928/mo | $1,235/mo | 24.9% lower in A |
| Median home value | $179,900 | $235,000 | 23.4% lower in A |
| Median household income | $49,049 | $60,440 | 18.8% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 99.8 | 4.6% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 78.2 | 98.7 | 20.7% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.2 | 96.1 | 1.1% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 95.4 | 94.2 | 1.3% 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 Alexandria, you'd need $125,775 in Houston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Alexandria, LA is about 20.5% cheaper overall than Houston, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 42% lower in Alexandria than in Houston. If you earn $80,000 in Alexandria, you'd need about $100,620 in Houston to keep the same standard of living.