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 | Merced | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,235/mo | $1,197/mo | 3.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $235,000 | $322,600 | 27.2% lower in A |
| Median household income | $60,440 | $59,233 | 2.0% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.7 | 101.9 | 4.1% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 106.5 | 121.6 | 12.4% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.3 | 100.1 | 2.8% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 90.9 | 98.0 | 7.2% 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 $102,183 in Merced to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 2.1% cheaper overall than Merced, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 3% lower in Merced than in Houston. If you earn $80,000 in Houston, you'd need about $81,746 in Merced to keep the same standard of living.