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 | Melbourne | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,235/mo | $1,303/mo | 5.2% lower in A |
| Median home value | $235,000 | $247,300 | 5.0% lower in A |
| Median household income | $60,440 | $60,917 | 0.8% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 99.8 | 97.0 | 2.9% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 98.7 | 90.1 | 9.5% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 96.1 | 99.4 | 3.3% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.2 | 97.6 | 3.5% 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 $102,666 in Melbourne to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 2.6% cheaper overall than Melbourne, FL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 6% lower in Houston than in Melbourne. If you earn $80,000 in Houston, you'd need about $82,133 in Melbourne to keep the same standard of living.