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 | Arlington | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,902/mo | $1,235/mo | 54.0% higher in A |
| Median home value | $839,200 | $235,000 | 257.1% higher in A |
| Median household income | $136,312 | $60,440 | 125.5% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 100.0 | 99.8 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 133.9 | 98.7 | 35.8% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 101.3 | 96.1 | 5.4% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 103.9 | 94.2 | 10.3% 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 Arlington, you'd need $79,884 in Houston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 20.1% cheaper overall than Arlington, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 31% lower in Houston than in Arlington. If you earn $80,000 in Arlington, you'd need about $63,907 in Houston to keep the same standard of living.