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 | Durham | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,296/mo | $1,235/mo | 4.9% higher in A |
| Median home value | $316,600 | $235,000 | 34.7% higher in A |
| Median household income | $74,710 | $60,440 | 23.6% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 101.2 | 97.7 | 3.6% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 98.7 | 106.5 | 7.3% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 86.6 | 97.3 | 11.0% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 102.4 | 90.9 | 12.6% 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 Durham, you'd need $99,227 in Houston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 0.8% cheaper overall than Durham, NC, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 5% lower in Houston than in Durham. If you earn $80,000 in Durham, you'd need about $79,382 in Houston to keep the same standard of living.