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 | Gaithersburg | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,925/mo | $1,235/mo | 55.9% higher in A |
| Median home value | $472,800 | $235,000 | 101.2% higher in A |
| Median household income | $104,544 | $60,440 | 73.0% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 101.3 | 99.8 | 1.5% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 105.6 | 98.7 | 7.0% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 101.2 | 96.1 | 5.3% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.5 | 94.2 | 5.6% 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 Gaithersburg, you'd need $88,050 in Houston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 11.9% cheaper overall than Gaithersburg, MD, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 20% lower in Houston than in Gaithersburg. If you earn $80,000 in Gaithersburg, you'd need about $70,440 in Houston to keep the same standard of living.