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 | Santa Barbara | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,235/mo | $2,209/mo | 44.1% lower in A |
| Median home value | $235,000 | $1,346,800 | 82.6% lower in A |
| Median household income | $60,440 | $98,346 | 38.5% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.7 | 104.1 | 6.1% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 106.5 | 125.1 | 14.9% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.3 | 104.6 | 7.0% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 90.9 | 104.1 | 12.7% 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 $178,860 in Santa Barbara to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 44.1% cheaper overall than Santa Barbara, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 44% lower in Houston than in Santa Barbara. If you earn $80,000 in Houston, you'd need about $143,088 in Santa Barbara to keep the same standard of living.