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 | Modesto | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,235/mo | $1,497/mo | 17.5% lower in A |
| Median home value | $235,000 | $381,800 | 38.4% lower in A |
| Median household income | $60,440 | $73,375 | 17.6% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.7 | 104.8 | 6.7% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 106.5 | 126.2 | 15.6% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.3 | 105.9 | 8.1% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 90.9 | 105.8 | 14.1% 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 $115,454 in Modesto to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 13.4% cheaper overall than Modesto, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 17% lower in Houston than in Modesto. If you earn $80,000 in Houston, you'd need about $92,363 in Modesto to keep the same standard of living.