Cost of Living Comparison Between Houston, TX and Austin, TX 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Consumer Prices in Austin, TX are 4.6% higher than in Houston, TX (without rent) | |
| Consumer Prices Including Rent in Austin, TX are 15.3% higher than in Houston, TX | |
| Rent Prices in Austin, TX are 34.2% higher than in Houston, TX | |
| Restaurant Prices in Austin, TX are 8.1% higher than in Houston, TX | |
| Groceries Prices in Austin, TX are 7.2% higher than in Houston, TX | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Austin, TX is 0.7% higher than in Houston, TX | |
Restaurants | Houston, TX Edit |
Austin, TX Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 18.00 $ | 20.00 $ | +11.1 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 80.00 $ | 84.00 $ | +5.0 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 9.62 $ | 10.00 $ | +4.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 5.00 $ | 6.00 $ | +20.0 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 7.00 $ | 8.00 $ | +14.3 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.22 $ | 5.34 $ | +2.3 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 2.46 $ | 2.73 $ | +10.9 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 1.88 $ | 2.21 $ | +17.2 % |
Markets | Houston, TX Edit |
Austin, TX Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 3.59 $ | 4.01 $ | +11.7 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 2.77 $ | 3.22 $ | +16.1 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 1.43 $ | 1.45 $ | +1.7 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 3.72 $ | 3.44 $ | -7.5 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 5.70 $ | 6.18 $ | +8.4 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 4.95 $ | 5.42 $ | +9.6 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 7.28 $ | 6.83 $ | -6.1 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.05 $ | 2.65 $ | +29.3 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.61 $ | 0.72 $ | +18.8 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 1.58 $ | 1.95 $ | +23.3 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 1.24 $ | 1.67 $ | +35.1 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.22 $ | 1.26 $ | +3.2 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.04 $ | 1.22 $ | +16.8 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 1.72 $ | 1.94 $ | +12.7 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.26 $ | 2.00 $ | -11.5 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 15.00 $ | 14.84 $ | -1.1 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 1.88 $ | 2.07 $ | +10.2 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 3.47 $ | 3.49 $ | +0.8 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 8.75 $ | 8.00 $ | -8.6 % |
Transportation | Houston, TX Edit |
Austin, TX Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 1.25 $ | 1.75 $ | +40.0 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 75.00 $ | 45.00 $ | -40.0 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 4.25 $ | 3.25 $ | -23.5 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 3.00 $ | 2.75 $ | -8.3 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 30.00 $ | 35.00 $ | +16.7 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 3.11 $ | 3.07 $ | -1.3 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 30,000.00 $ | 35,000.00 $ | +16.7 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 25,680.35 $ | 25,908.70 $ | +0.9 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Houston, TX Edit |
Austin, TX Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 203.75 $ | 173.25 $ | -15.0 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 60.34 $ | 61.15 $ | +1.4 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 68.55 $ | 64.90 $ | -5.3 % |
Sports And Leisure | Houston, TX Edit |
Austin, TX Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 39.66 $ | 57.67 $ | +45.4 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 15.83 $ | 17.50 $ | +10.5 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 15.00 $ | 14.50 $ | -3.3 % |
Childcare | Houston, TX Edit |
Austin, TX Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 1,244.14 $ | 1,476.11 $ | +18.6 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 25,333.33 $ | 21,625.00 $ | -14.6 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Houston, TX Edit |
Austin, TX Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 49.00 $ | 61.85 $ | +26.2 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 46.64 $ | 55.85 $ | +19.8 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 103.74 $ | 98.04 $ | -5.5 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 139.00 $ | 133.36 $ | -4.1 % |
Rent Per Month | Houston, TX Edit |
Austin, TX Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 1,583.86 $ | 2,260.40 $ | +42.7 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,213.24 $ | 1,528.33 $ | +26.0 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 3,350.78 $ | 4,589.15 $ | +37.0 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 2,079.40 $ | 2,665.22 $ | +28.2 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Houston, TX Edit |
Austin, TX Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 312.32 $ | 368.17 $ | +17.9 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 205.91 $ | 249.25 $ | +21.0 % |
Salaries And Financing | Houston, TX Edit |
Austin, TX Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 4,850.71 $ | 5,630.44 $ | +16.1 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.57 | 6.62 | +0.8 % |
| Last update: | April 2024 | April 2024 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 215 | 181 |
Moving to Houston, TX? Explore:
Moving to Austin, TX? Explore:
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 |
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 |