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 | Carlsbad | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,477/mo | $1,235/mo | 100.6% higher in A |
| Median home value | $1,070,500 | $235,000 | 355.5% higher in A |
| Median household income | $134,139 | $60,440 | 121.9% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.1 | 97.7 | 6.5% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 125.1 | 106.5 | 17.5% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 104.6 | 97.3 | 7.5% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 90.9 | 14.5% 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 Carlsbad, you'd need $49,859 in Houston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 50.1% cheaper overall than Carlsbad, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 50% lower in Houston than in Carlsbad. If you earn $80,000 in Carlsbad, you'd need about $39,887 in Houston to keep the same standard of living.