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 | Buffalo | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $942/mo | $1,235/mo | 23.7% lower in A |
| Median home value | $132,100 | $235,000 | 43.8% lower in A |
| Median household income | $46,184 | $60,440 | 23.6% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 101.0 | 97.7 | 3.3% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 99.3 | 106.5 | 6.7% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 95.9 | 97.3 | 1.4% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 104.7 | 90.9 | 15.2% 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 Buffalo, you'd need $131,108 in Houston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Buffalo, NY is about 23.7% cheaper overall than Houston, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 24% lower in Buffalo than in Houston. If you earn $80,000 in Buffalo, you'd need about $104,886 in Houston to keep the same standard of living.