Cost of Living in Houston, TX
Houston's cost of living index is 96 — making it 4.2% more affordable than the US national average. To maintain your current standard of living here, you would need to earn $96,000 for every $100,000 of national-average income.
The Houston Tax & Cost Impact
Texas has no state income tax on wages, so more of a paycheck in Houston stays with you than in a state that taxes income. Federal income tax and FICA still apply.
Decision Matrix
- ✓Housing: Housing is a value-play compared to national tiers.
- ✓Savings Rate: To save $2,000/mo here, you need a gross household income of ~$80,640.
COL Index
96
100 = national avg
Monthly Budget
$4,800
vs $5,000 national
Population
2.4M
Metro area
State Tax
None
Texas
Monthly Cost Breakdown
Estimated monthly costs in Houston vs national average for a typical household.
| Category | National Avg | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $1,650 | $1,551 | -$99 |
| Groceries | $650 | $629 | -$21 |
| Transportation | $800 | $771 | -$29 |
| Healthcare | $400 | $389 | -$11 |
| Utilities | $300 | $288 | -$12 |
| Other | $1,200 | $1,162 | -$38 |
| Total | $5,000 | $4,800 | -$200 |
Estimated Budget: Single vs. Family of Four
Estimates from LifeCalc's model, not surveyed prices. We treat the $5,000 national baseline as a family-of-four budget, scale each category by Houston's index (housing moves 1.5x as much as the index, groceries 0.8x, and so on), then apply assumed single-adult shares per category (housing 65%, groceries 30%, transportation 55%, healthcare 30%, utilities 60%, other 45%).
| Category | Single adult / mo | Family of four / mo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | $1,008 | $1,551 |
| Groceries | $189 | $629 |
| Transportation | $424 | $771 |
| Healthcare | $117 | $389 |
| Utilities | $173 | $288 |
| Other | $523 | $1,162 |
| Total (estimate) | $2,434 | $4,790 |
For comparison, the same model gives about $2,548 (single) and $5,000 (family of four) at the national average. Houston is $210 below the family baseline each month.
Salary Needed and State Tax Context
Our dataset's median of state median household incomes is $77,871. Scaling that by Houston's index of 96 suggests you would need roughly $74,756 a year here to match that standard of living. This is a cost-of-living adjustment only; it does not adjust for your household or housing choices.
Texas does not tax wage income, so no state income tax would come out of that salary. Texas's statewide cost index is 93 and its median household income is $79,721. See all Texas tax brackets.
Closest cities by index
Salary Equivalent
To maintain the same standard of living in Houston, a national-average salary translates to:
$50,000 nationally
$48,000
$75,000 nationally
$72,000
$100,000 nationally
$96,000
$150,000 nationally
$144,000
What Your Salary Gets You in Houston
Here's how different salary levels translate to monthly purchasing power in Houston, TX, where the cost of living is 4% below the national average.
Cities With Similar Cost of Living
FAQ: Cost of Living in Houston
Is Houston expensive to live in?
Houston's cost of living index is 96, which is near the national average of 100. Housing is typically the biggest factor, with estimated monthly rent around $1,584.
What salary do I need to live comfortably in Houston?
To maintain a middle-class lifestyle in Houston, you'd need approximately $72,000 per year, which is equivalent to a $75,000 salary at the national average cost of living.
How does Houston compare to other cities?
Houston is comparable in cost to Milwaukee, Tucson, Kansas City. More affordable alternatives include El Paso, Toledo, Laredo.