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 | San Mateo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,235/mo | $2,971/mo | 58.4% lower in A |
| Median home value | $235,000 | $1,508,900 | 84.4% lower in A |
| Median household income | $60,440 | $149,152 | 59.5% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.7 | 118.6 | 17.6% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 106.5 | 148.5 | 28.3% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.3 | 134.4 | 27.6% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 90.9 | 144.2 | 36.9% 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 $180,662 in San Mateo to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 44.6% cheaper overall than San Mateo, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 58% lower in Houston than in San Mateo. If you earn $80,000 in Houston, you'd need about $144,530 in San Mateo to keep the same standard of living.