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 | Surprise | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,235/mo | $1,822/mo | 32.2% lower in A |
| Median home value | $235,000 | $352,600 | 33.4% lower in A |
| Median household income | $60,440 | $87,756 | 31.1% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.7 | 107.8 | 9.3% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 106.5 | 131.1 | 18.8% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.3 | 112.2 | 13.3% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 90.9 | 114.2 | 20.4% 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 $129,832 in Surprise to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 23% cheaper overall than Surprise, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 32% lower in Houston than in Surprise. If you earn $80,000 in Houston, you'd need about $103,866 in Surprise to keep the same standard of living.