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 | $1,983/mo | $1,235/mo | 60.6% higher in A |
| Median home value | $655,700 | $235,000 | 179.0% higher in A |
| Median household income | $113,179 | $60,440 | 87.3% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 101.9 | 97.7 | 4.3% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 87.6 | 106.5 | 17.7% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 90.0 | 97.3 | 7.5% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 92.8 | 90.9 | 2.1% 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 $62,280 in Houston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 37.7% cheaper overall than Alexandria, VA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 38% lower in Houston than in Alexandria. If you earn $80,000 in Alexandria, you'd need about $49,824 in Houston to keep the same standard of living.