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 | $1,161/mo | $1,235/mo | 6.0% lower in A |
| Median home value | $212,500 | $235,000 | 9.6% lower in A |
| Median household income | $62,994 | $60,440 | 4.2% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 102.0 | 97.7 | 4.4% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 88.4 | 106.5 | 17.0% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 91.6 | 97.3 | 5.8% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 91.9 | 90.9 | 1.1% 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 $104,846 in Houston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Columbus, OH is about 4.6% cheaper overall than Houston, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 6% lower in Columbus than in Houston. If you earn $80,000 in Columbus, you'd need about $83,877 in Houston to keep the same standard of living.