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 | Methuen Town | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,235/mo | $1,514/mo | 18.4% lower in A |
| Median home value | $235,000 | $439,500 | 46.5% lower in A |
| Median household income | $60,440 | $93,681 | 35.5% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 99.8 | 101.0 | 1.2% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 98.7 | 99.3 | 0.7% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 96.1 | 95.9 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 94.2 | 104.7 | 10.0% 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 $120,121 in Methuen Town to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 16.8% cheaper overall than Methuen Town, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 14% lower in Houston than in Methuen Town. If you earn $80,000 in Houston, you'd need about $96,097 in Methuen Town to keep the same standard of living.