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 | Costa Mesa | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,268/mo | $1,235/mo | 83.6% higher in A |
| Median home value | $959,800 | $235,000 | 308.4% higher in A |
| Median household income | $104,981 | $60,440 | 73.7% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 112.0 | 97.7 | 14.6% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 137.8 | 106.5 | 29.4% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 120.8 | 97.3 | 24.2% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 125.9 | 90.9 | 38.5% 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 Costa Mesa, you'd need $66,863 in Houston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 33.1% cheaper overall than Costa Mesa, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 46% lower in Houston than in Costa Mesa. If you earn $80,000 in Costa Mesa, you'd need about $53,490 in Houston to keep the same standard of living.