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 | Chico | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,360/mo | $1,235/mo | 10.1% higher in A |
| Median home value | $427,600 | $235,000 | 82.0% higher in A |
| Median household income | $65,932 | $60,440 | 9.1% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 103.5 | 97.7 | 5.9% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 124.1 | 106.5 | 16.5% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 103.3 | 97.3 | 6.2% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 102.2 | 90.9 | 12.4% 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 Chico, you'd need $91,410 in Houston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 8.6% cheaper overall than Chico, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 9% lower in Houston than in Chico. If you earn $80,000 in Chico, you'd need about $73,128 in Houston to keep the same standard of living.