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 | Des Plaines | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,300/mo | $1,235/mo | 5.3% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,100 | $235,000 | 29.4% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,552 | $60,440 | 43.2% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.0 | 99.8 | 4.2% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 86.0 | 98.7 | 12.8% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 99.4 | 96.1 | 3.4% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 100.1 | 94.2 | 6.2% 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 Des Plaines, you'd need $96,355 in Houston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 3.6% cheaper overall than Des Plaines, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 6% lower in Houston than in Des Plaines. If you earn $80,000 in Des Plaines, you'd need about $77,084 in Houston to keep the same standard of living.