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 | Columbus | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,038/mo | $1,235/mo | 16.0% lower in A |
| Median home value | $168,400 | $235,000 | 28.3% lower in A |
| Median household income | $54,561 | $60,440 | 9.7% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 98.2 | 97.7 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 94.8 | 106.5 | 11.0% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 81.4 | 97.3 | 16.3% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.2 | 90.9 | 3.6% 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 Columbus, you'd need $112,277 in Houston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Columbus, GA is about 10.9% cheaper overall than Houston, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 16% lower in Columbus than in Houston. If you earn $80,000 in Columbus, you'd need about $89,822 in Houston to keep the same standard of living.