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 | St. Paul | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,235/mo | $1,174/mo | 5.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $235,000 | $264,900 | 11.3% lower in A |
| Median household income | $60,440 | $69,919 | 13.6% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.7 | 102.2 | 4.4% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 106.5 | 88.6 | 20.1% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 97.3 | 91.9 | 5.8% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 90.9 | 92.3 | 1.6% 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 $96,003 in St. Paul to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
St. Paul, MN is about 4% cheaper overall than Houston, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 5% lower in St. Paul than in Houston. If you earn $80,000 in Houston, you'd need about $76,803 in St. Paul to keep the same standard of living.