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 | West Lafayette | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,235/mo | $1,056/mo | 17.0% higher in A |
| Median home value | $235,000 | $303,300 | 22.5% lower in A |
| Median household income | $60,440 | $30,317 | 99.4% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 99.8 | 94.9 | 5.1% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 98.7 | 88.0 | 12.1% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 96.1 | 98.5 | 2.4% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.2 | 99.1 | 5.0% 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 $89,085 in West Lafayette to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
West Lafayette, IN is about 10.9% cheaper overall than Houston, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 23% lower in West Lafayette than in Houston. If you earn $80,000 in Houston, you'd need about $71,268 in West Lafayette to keep the same standard of living.