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 | Elizabeth | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,390/mo | $1,235/mo | 12.6% higher in A |
| Median home value | $358,400 | $235,000 | 52.5% higher in A |
| Median household income | $59,939 | $60,440 | 0.8% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 95.7 | 97.7 | 2.1% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 106.5 | 13.2% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 86.0 | 97.3 | 11.6% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 90.4 | 90.9 | 0.6% lower 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 Elizabeth, you'd need $98,935 in Houston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 1.1% cheaper overall than Elizabeth, NJ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 11% lower in Houston than in Elizabeth. If you earn $80,000 in Elizabeth, you'd need about $79,148 in Houston to keep the same standard of living.