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 | El Monte | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,605/mo | $1,235/mo | 30.0% higher in A |
| Median home value | $597,200 | $235,000 | 154.1% higher in A |
| Median household income | $59,929 | $60,440 | 0.8% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 105.8 | 97.7 | 8.2% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 127.8 | 106.5 | 20.0% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 108.0 | 97.3 | 11.0% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 108.6 | 90.9 | 19.4% 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 El Monte, you'd need $83,174 in Houston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 16.8% cheaper overall than El Monte, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 23% lower in Houston than in El Monte. If you earn $80,000 in El Monte, you'd need about $66,539 in Houston to keep the same standard of living.