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 | Detroit | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $989/mo | $1,235/mo | 19.9% lower in A |
| Median home value | $66,700 | $235,000 | 71.6% lower in A |
| Median household income | $37,761 | $60,440 | 37.5% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 100.9 | 97.7 | 3.2% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 70.6 | 106.5 | 33.7% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 103.5 | 97.3 | 6.4% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 111.1 | 90.9 | 22.3% 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 Detroit, you'd need $108,290 in Houston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Detroit, MI is about 7.7% cheaper overall than Houston, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 20% lower in Detroit than in Houston. If you earn $80,000 in Detroit, you'd need about $86,632 in Houston to keep the same standard of living.