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 | $1,081/mo | $1,235/mo | 12.5% lower in A |
| Median home value | $211,700 | $235,000 | 9.9% lower in A |
| Median household income | $75,114 | $60,440 | 24.3% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 94.9 | 99.8 | 4.9% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 88.1 | 98.7 | 10.7% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.5 | 96.1 | 2.5% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.1 | 94.2 | 5.2% 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 Columbus, you'd need $112,291 in Houston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Columbus, IN is about 10.9% cheaper overall than Houston, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 23% lower in Columbus than in Houston. If you earn $80,000 in Columbus, you'd need about $89,833 in Houston to keep the same standard of living.