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 | Charlotte | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,399/mo | $1,235/mo | 13.3% higher in A |
| Median home value | $312,800 | $235,000 | 33.1% higher in A |
| Median household income | $74,070 | $60,440 | 22.6% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 102.4 | 97.7 | 4.8% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 100.3 | 106.5 | 5.8% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 88.7 | 97.3 | 8.9% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 105.6 | 90.9 | 16.2% 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 Charlotte, you'd need $94,821 in Houston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 5.2% cheaper overall than Charlotte, NC, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 12% lower in Houston than in Charlotte. If you earn $80,000 in Charlotte, you'd need about $75,857 in Houston to keep the same standard of living.