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 | Austin | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,235/mo | 25.4% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $235,000 | 96.4% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $60,440 | 43.2% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 98.7 | 97.7 | 1.0% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 94.8 | 106.5 | 11.0% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 100.5 | 97.3 | 3.4% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.8 | 90.9 | 4.3% 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 Austin, you'd need $79,731 in Houston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 20.3% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 20% lower in Houston than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $63,785 in Houston to keep the same standard of living.