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 | Tempe | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,235/mo | $1,472/mo | 16.1% lower in A |
| Median home value | $235,000 | $382,100 | 38.5% lower in A |
| Median household income | $60,440 | $72,022 | 16.1% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.7 | 104.5 | 6.5% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 106.5 | 125.8 | 15.3% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.3 | 105.4 | 7.7% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 90.9 | 105.1 | 13.5% 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 $114,347 in Tempe to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 12.5% cheaper overall than Tempe, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 16% lower in Houston than in Tempe. If you earn $80,000 in Houston, you'd need about $91,478 in Tempe to keep the same standard of living.