Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Houston, TX 
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| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Houston, TX is 3.7% lower than in Austin, TX (without rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Houston, TX is 13.6% lower than in Austin, TX | |
| Rent Prices in Houston, TX are 27.1% lower than in Austin, TX | |
| Restaurant Prices in Houston, TX are 8.5% lower than in Austin, TX | |
| Groceries Prices in Houston, TX are 5.1% lower than in Austin, TX | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Houston, TX is 2.1% lower than in Austin, TX | |
Restaurants | Austin, TX Edit |
Houston, TX Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 18.00 $ | 15.75 $ | -12.5 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 80.00 $ | 77.50 $ | -3.1 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 10.00 $ | 9.00 $ | -10.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 6.00 $ | 5.00 $ | -16.7 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 8.00 $ | 6.50 $ | -18.8 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.36 $ | 5.17 $ | -3.4 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 2.70 $ | 2.49 $ | -7.7 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.16 $ | 1.89 $ | -12.4 % |
Markets | Austin, TX Edit |
Houston, TX Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 3.97 $ | 3.41 $ | -14.0 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.23 $ | 2.80 $ | -13.1 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 1.40 $ | 1.40 $ | +0.2 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 3.48 $ | 3.77 $ | +8.4 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 6.18 $ | 5.81 $ | -6.0 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 5.29 $ | 5.08 $ | -3.8 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 6.63 $ | 7.34 $ | +10.7 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.62 $ | 2.05 $ | -21.6 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.72 $ | 0.58 $ | -19.6 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.00 $ | 1.57 $ | -21.5 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 1.69 $ | 1.28 $ | -24.4 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.26 $ | 1.27 $ | +0.9 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.24 $ | 1.07 $ | -13.7 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 1.94 $ | 1.72 $ | -11.1 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.04 $ | 2.31 $ | +13.0 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 15.00 $ | 15.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 2.07 $ | 1.86 $ | -10.2 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 3.20 $ | 3.49 $ | +9.0 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 8.00 $ | 9.00 $ | +12.5 % |
Transportation | Austin, TX Edit |
Houston, TX Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 1.50 $ | 1.25 $ | -16.7 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 45.00 $ | 75.00 $ | +66.7 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 3.25 $ | 4.25 $ | +30.8 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 2.75 $ | 3.00 $ | +9.1 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 35.00 $ | 30.00 $ | -14.3 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 3.09 $ | 3.12 $ | +0.9 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 33,000.00 $ | 36,278.39 $ | +9.9 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 25,824.23 $ | 26,416.42 $ | +2.3 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Austin, TX Edit |
Houston, TX Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 173.25 $ | 185.12 $ | +6.9 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 60.20 $ | 57.84 $ | -3.9 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 65.41 $ | 68.86 $ | +5.3 % |
Sports And Leisure | Austin, TX Edit |
Houston, TX Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 54.64 $ | 38.08 $ | -30.3 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 17.50 $ | 15.83 $ | -9.5 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 15.00 $ | 15.00 $ | 0.0 % |
Childcare | Austin, TX Edit |
Houston, TX Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 1,476.11 $ | 1,244.14 $ | -15.7 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 21,625.00 $ | 25,333.33 $ | +17.1 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Austin, TX Edit |
Houston, TX Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 61.92 $ | 48.29 $ | -22.0 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 55.85 $ | 43.40 $ | -22.3 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 96.69 $ | 100.48 $ | +3.9 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 132.87 $ | 134.56 $ | +1.3 % |
Rent Per Month | Austin, TX Edit |
Houston, TX Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,242.40 $ | 1,562.83 $ | -30.3 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,527.78 $ | 1,184.67 $ | -22.5 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 4,604.54 $ | 3,225.78 $ | -29.9 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 2,658.33 $ | 2,075.22 $ | -21.9 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Austin, TX Edit |
Houston, TX Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 368.17 $ | 254.18 $ | -31.0 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 249.25 $ | 173.01 $ | -30.6 % |
Salaries And Financing | Austin, TX Edit |
Houston, TX Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 5,687.18 $ | 4,809.04 $ | -15.4 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.69 | 6.60 | -1.3 % |
| Last update: | May 2024 | May 2024 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 170 | 206 |
Moving to Austin, TX? Explore:
Moving to Houston, TX? Explore:
Cities near Austin, TX: | Cost of Living in San Antonio, Texas | 79.89 miles |
| Cost of Living in Waco, Texas | 101.85 miles |
| Cost of Living in Kerrville, Texas | 102.67 miles |
| Cost of Living in College Station, Texas | 106.60 miles |
| Cost of Living in Houston, Texas | 163.29 miles |
| Cost of Living in Fort Worth, Texas | 187.07 miles |
| Cost of Living in Dallas, Texas | 198.85 miles |
| Cost of Living in San Angelo, Texas | 205.75 miles |
| Cost of Living in Garland, Texas | 214.18 miles |
| Cost of Living in Plano, Texas | 214.48 miles |
Cities near Houston, TX: | Cost of Living in College Station, Texas | 94.28 miles |
| Cost of Living in Austin, Texas | 161.51 miles |
| Cost of Living in Waco, Texas | 184.46 miles |
| Cost of Living in San Antonio, Texas | 193.85 miles |
| Cost of Living in Longview, Texas | 213.57 miles |
| Cost of Living in Corpus Christi, Texas | 216.46 miles |
| Cost of Living in Dallas, Texas | 245.09 miles |
| Cost of Living in Shreveport, Louisiana | 245.18 miles |