Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Houston, TX 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Consumer Prices in Houston, TX are 11.4% higher than in Austin, TX (without rent) | |
| Consumer Prices Including Rent in Houston, TX are 3.5% lower than in Austin, TX | |
| Rent Prices in Houston, TX are 22.8% lower than in Austin, TX | |
| Restaurant Prices in Houston, TX are 7.7% lower than in Austin, TX | |
| Groceries Prices in Houston, TX are 7.5% higher than in Austin, TX | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Houston, TX is 9.2% higher than in Austin, TX | |
Restaurants | Austin, TX Edit |
Houston, TX Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 20.00 $ | 20.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 100.00 $ | 80.00 $ | -20.0 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 10.00 $ | 10.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 6.50 $ | 6.00 $ | -7.7 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 8.00 $ | 8.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.43 $ | 5.57 $ | +2.5 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 2.74 $ | 2.69 $ | -2.0 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.07 $ | 2.13 $ | +2.9 % |
Markets | Austin, TX Edit |
Houston, TX Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 4.04 $ | 3.98 $ | -1.4 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 2.94 $ | 3.17 $ | +7.8 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 1.44 $ | 2.21 $ | +53.9 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 4.01 $ | 4.71 $ | +17.3 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 6.16 $ | 6.84 $ | +11.1 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 5.29 $ | 5.71 $ | +7.9 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 6.67 $ | 7.96 $ | +19.3 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.52 $ | 2.30 $ | -9.0 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.66 $ | 0.64 $ | -3.8 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.02 $ | 1.90 $ | -5.8 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 1.48 $ | 1.57 $ | +5.8 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.29 $ | 1.42 $ | +9.6 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.27 $ | 1.18 $ | -6.7 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 1.84 $ | 2.01 $ | +9.1 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 1.99 $ | 2.32 $ | +16.9 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 15.00 $ | 15.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 2.39 $ | 2.15 $ | -9.9 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 3.39 $ | 3.63 $ | +7.3 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 8.00 $ | 8.38 $ | +4.7 % |
Transportation | Austin, TX Edit |
Houston, TX Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 1.50 $ | 2.38 $ | +58.3 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 43.48 $ | 106.50 $ | +144.9 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 3.50 $ | 5.00 $ | +42.9 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 2.88 $ | 5.00 $ | +73.9 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 35.00 $ | 50.00 $ | +42.9 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 3.24 $ | 3.25 $ | +0.3 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 33,000.00 $ | 28,000.00 $ | -15.2 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 26,541.42 $ | 25,782.58 $ | -2.9 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Austin, TX Edit |
Houston, TX Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 219.21 $ | 237.45 $ | +8.3 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 55.00 $ | 82.06 $ | +49.2 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 72.54 $ | 84.70 $ | +16.8 % |
Sports And Leisure | Austin, TX Edit |
Houston, TX Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 50.93 $ | 71.28 $ | +40.0 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 16.74 $ | 32.67 $ | +95.1 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 13.50 $ | 15.00 $ | +11.1 % |
Childcare | Austin, TX Edit |
Houston, TX Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 1,286.58 $ | 1,627.16 $ | +26.5 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 18,000.00 $ | 31,781.25 $ | +76.6 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Austin, TX Edit |
Houston, TX Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 66.68 $ | 61.27 $ | -8.1 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 54.82 $ | 60.50 $ | +10.4 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 99.10 $ | 108.59 $ | +9.6 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 136.32 $ | 153.09 $ | +12.3 % |
Rent Per Month | Austin, TX Edit |
Houston, TX Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,491.21 $ | 1,755.33 $ | -29.5 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,645.55 $ | 1,418.88 $ | -13.8 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 4,828.62 $ | 3,550.57 $ | -26.5 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 2,927.58 $ | 2,453.13 $ | -16.2 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Austin, TX Edit |
Houston, TX Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 955.88 $ | 509.67 $ | -46.7 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 372.56 $ | 291.95 $ | -21.6 % |
Salaries And Financing | Austin, TX Edit |
Houston, TX Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 5,114.59 $ | 5,392.55 $ | +5.4 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.70 | 6.94 | +3.6 % |
| Last update: | October 2023 | September 2023 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 260 | 257 |
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 |