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 | Rio Rancho | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,235/mo | $1,357/mo | 9.0% lower in A |
| Median home value | $235,000 | $246,700 | 4.7% lower in A |
| Median household income | $60,440 | $78,978 | 23.5% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.7 | 103.4 | 5.5% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 106.5 | 124.0 | 14.1% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.3 | 103.2 | 5.7% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 90.9 | 102.1 | 11.0% 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 $109,264 in Rio Rancho to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 8.5% cheaper overall than Rio Rancho, NM, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 9% lower in Houston than in Rio Rancho. If you earn $80,000 in Houston, you'd need about $87,411 in Rio Rancho to keep the same standard of living.