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 | Houston | Madison | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,235/mo | $1,291/mo | 4.3% lower in A |
| Median home value | $235,000 | $326,600 | 28.0% lower in A |
| Median household income | $60,440 | $74,895 | 19.3% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.7 | 103.9 | 5.9% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 106.5 | 90.5 | 17.6% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 97.3 | 94.9 | 2.5% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 90.9 | 96.3 | 5.6% 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 Houston, you'd need $101,527 in Madison to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 1.5% cheaper overall than Madison, WI, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 4% lower in Houston than in Madison. If you earn $80,000 in Houston, you'd need about $81,222 in Madison to keep the same standard of living.