Cost of Living in Houston, TX (2026)

Houston has a cost-of-living index of 99 against a US average of 100 — about 1% below average. $100,000 of income here is worth roughly $101,390 at the national average.

What it costs to live in Houston

Measure	Houston	US average
Cost-of-living index	99	100
Median rent	$1,313/mo	-
Median home value	$253,400	-
Median household income	$62,894	-
Population	2,300,419	-

Monthly cost breakdown in Houston

Estimates use BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey shares scaled by the local cost-of-living index. Housing uses the city’s median rent; the owning column uses a 30-year mortgage at 6.7% with 10% down on the median home.

Category	Renting	Owning
Housing	$1,313	$1,472
Transport	$848	$848
Food	$667	$667
Healthcare	$419	$419
Other	$1,489	$1,489
Total	$4,735	$4,894

Affordability in Houston

Median rent takes about 25.1% of the median household income in Houston — comfortably inside the 30% rule of thumb.

The median home costs 4.0x the median household income. Three times income is the traditional comfort line; five times is where affordability usually breaks down.

Highest-paying roles in Houston

Role	Typical salary	Worth nationally
Marketing Manager	$136,970	$138,874
Software Developer	$125,720	$127,468
Mechanical Engineer	$119,550	$121,212
Physical Therapist	$110,530	$112,066
Data Scientist	$97,490	$98,845
Registered Nurse	$93,330	$94,627
Web Developer	$93,180	$94,475
Financial Analyst	$93,170	$94,465

“Worth nationally” adjusts each salary for Houston’s cost of living, so you can compare offers between cities on equal terms.

Compare Houston with another city

How these figures are measured

Cost of living

Regional Price Parity (RPP) is a price index published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis in which the national average equals 100. An RPP of 111 means prices run about 11% above the U.S. average; 95 means about 5% below.

Equivalent salary

Calculated as salary × (destination RPP ÷ origin RPP) — the income needed in the second city to hold purchasing power constant.

Wages

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), reported as 10th, 25th, median, 75th and 90th percentiles.

Housing and income

U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates.

Taxes

IRS 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction, FICA thresholds, and per-state income tax rules.

Data vintage 2026, refreshed annually as each agency publishes. Figures are estimates from public government data, not personalised financial advice. Full methodology and sources · download the open dataset · query it as an API.

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Frequently asked questions

How expensive is Houston?

Houston has a cost-of-living index of 99 against a US average of 100, so it is about 1% below the national average. In practical terms, $100,000 of income in Houston has roughly the purchasing power of $101,390 at the national average.

What salary do you need to live comfortably in Houston?

A common benchmark is keeping rent at or under 30% of gross income. At Houston's median rent of $1,313/month that implies about $52,520 a year before tax. The median household in Houston earns $62,894.

How much does it cost to live in Houston per month?

Renting, a single household spends roughly $4,735 a month in Houston across housing, transport, food, healthcare and everything else. Buying at the median home price, the estimate is about $4,894 a month including a 30-year mortgage at 6.7% with 10% down.

Can you afford a home in Houston?

The median home in Houston costs $253,400, which is 4.0x the median household income of $62,894. Lenders traditionally treat 3x as comfortable and about 5x as stretched, so Houston is manageable but tight.