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 | Silver Spring | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,235/mo | $1,826/mo | 32.4% lower in A |
| Median home value | $235,000 | $606,100 | 61.2% lower in A |
| Median household income | $60,440 | $95,213 | 36.5% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 99.8 | 103.0 | 3.1% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 98.7 | 103.1 | 4.3% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 96.1 | 101.8 | 5.6% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.2 | 100.1 | 5.9% 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 $122,646 in Silver Spring to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 18.5% cheaper overall than Silver Spring, MD, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 31% lower in Houston than in Silver Spring. If you earn $80,000 in Houston, you'd need about $98,117 in Silver Spring to keep the same standard of living.