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 | Seattle | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,235/mo | $1,945/mo | 36.5% lower in A |
| Median home value | $235,000 | $879,900 | 73.3% lower in A |
| Median household income | $60,440 | $116,068 | 47.9% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.7 | 93.6 | 4.4% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 106.5 | 89.2 | 19.4% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 97.3 | 120.5 | 19.3% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 90.9 | 128.1 | 29.1% 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 $157,485 in Seattle to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 36.5% cheaper overall than Seattle, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 37% lower in Houston than in Seattle. If you earn $80,000 in Houston, you'd need about $125,988 in Seattle to keep the same standard of living.