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 Monica | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,235/mo | $2,227/mo | 44.5% lower in A |
| Median home value | $235,000 | $1,654,800 | 85.8% lower in A |
| Median household income | $60,440 | $106,797 | 43.4% 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 $180,318 in Santa Monica to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 44.5% cheaper overall than Santa Monica, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 45% lower in Houston than in Santa Monica. If you earn $80,000 in Houston, you'd need about $144,255 in Santa Monica to keep the same standard of living.