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 | Plainfield | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,235/mo | $1,847/mo | 33.1% lower in A |
| Median home value | $235,000 | $377,200 | 37.7% lower in A |
| Median household income | $60,440 | $143,064 | 57.8% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 99.8 | 104.0 | 4.0% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 98.7 | 86.0 | 14.7% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 96.1 | 99.4 | 3.3% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.2 | 100.1 | 5.9% 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 $109,296 in Plainfield to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 8.5% cheaper overall than Plainfield, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 16% lower in Houston than in Plainfield. If you earn $80,000 in Houston, you'd need about $87,437 in Plainfield to keep the same standard of living.