City comparison
Houston, TX is about 400 miles (650 km) from Oklahoma City, OK in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 500 miles, or about 8 h 30 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Houston, TX to Oklahoma City, OK takes about 49 min, covering roughly 400 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Houston has a population of 2,296,253, vs 681,088 in Oklahoma City — about 3.4× larger by population. By land area, Houston covers about 640 sq mi vs 605 sq mi for Oklahoma City.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
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 | Oklahoma City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,235/mo | $1,012/mo | 22.0% higher in Houston |
| Median home value | $235,000 | $196,700 | 19.5% higher in Houston |
| Median household income | $60,440 | $64,251 | 6.3% higher in Oklahoma City |
| Groceries index | 100.4 | 94.2 | 6.5% higher in Houston |
| Utilities index | 96.3 | 75.9 | 26.8% higher in Houston |
| Transportation index | 95.8 | 95.9 | ≈ equal (Oklahoma City slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 95.2 | 95.4 | ≈ equal (Oklahoma City slightly higher) |
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 $84,732 in Oklahoma City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Oklahoma City, OK is about 15.3% cheaper overall than Houston, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 40% higher in Houston than in Oklahoma City. If you earn $80,000 in Houston, you'd need about $67,786 in Oklahoma City to keep the same standard of living.