Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Houston, TX 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Houston, TX is 0.7% higher than in Austin, TX (without rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Houston, TX is 10.9% lower than in Austin, TX | |
| Rent Prices in Houston, TX are 26.2% lower than in Austin, TX | |
| Restaurant Prices in Houston, TX are 2.6% lower than in Austin, TX | |
| Groceries Prices in Houston, TX are 1.9% lower than in Austin, TX | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Houston, TX is 1.9% lower than in Austin, TX | |
Restaurants | Austin, TX Edit |
Houston, TX Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 18.00 $ | 18.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 82.00 $ | 80.00 $ | -2.4 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 10.00 $ | 9.62 $ | -3.8 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 6.00 $ | 5.00 $ | -16.7 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 8.00 $ | 7.00 $ | -12.5 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.33 $ | 5.36 $ | +0.5 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 2.70 $ | 2.63 $ | -2.6 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.19 $ | 1.92 $ | -12.3 % |
Markets | Austin, TX Edit |
Houston, TX Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 3.95 $ | 3.74 $ | -5.4 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.22 $ | 2.86 $ | -11.1 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 1.40 $ | 1.50 $ | +7.3 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 3.41 $ | 4.08 $ | +19.7 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 6.18 $ | 5.90 $ | -4.4 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 5.30 $ | 5.41 $ | +2.1 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 6.69 $ | 7.56 $ | +13.0 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.59 $ | 2.12 $ | -18.2 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.71 $ | 0.62 $ | -12.0 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.04 $ | 1.66 $ | -18.8 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 1.67 $ | 1.32 $ | -20.9 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.26 $ | 1.32 $ | +4.9 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.24 $ | 1.08 $ | -13.0 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 1.94 $ | 1.85 $ | -4.8 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.00 $ | 2.32 $ | +16.4 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 15.00 $ | 15.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 2.07 $ | 1.95 $ | -6.0 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 3.68 $ | 3.70 $ | +0.6 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 8.00 $ | 8.84 $ | +10.5 % |
Transportation | Austin, TX Edit |
Houston, TX Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 1.75 $ | 1.38 $ | -21.4 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 45.00 $ | 80.00 $ | +77.8 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 3.25 $ | 5.50 $ | +69.2 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 2.75 $ | 3.00 $ | +9.1 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 35.00 $ | 40.00 $ | +14.3 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 3.07 $ | 3.14 $ | +2.1 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 35,639.19 $ | 33,139.19 $ | -7.0 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 26,102.62 $ | 26,105.84 $ | +0.0 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Austin, TX Edit |
Houston, TX Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 173.25 $ | 208.53 $ | +20.4 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 61.15 $ | 61.03 $ | -0.2 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 66.20 $ | 72.66 $ | +9.8 % |
Sports And Leisure | Austin, TX Edit |
Houston, TX Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 57.67 $ | 41.23 $ | -28.5 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 17.50 $ | 23.33 $ | +33.3 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 14.50 $ | 15.00 $ | +3.4 % |
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) | 62.78 $ | 49.95 $ | -20.4 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 56.76 $ | 49.08 $ | -13.5 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 98.96 $ | 106.29 $ | +7.4 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 135.25 $ | 144.94 $ | +7.2 % |
Rent Per Month | Austin, TX Edit |
Houston, TX Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,348.40 $ | 1,601.96 $ | -31.8 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,570.00 $ | 1,213.24 $ | -22.7 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 4,822.07 $ | 3,436.03 $ | -28.7 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 2,703.85 $ | 2,196.28 $ | -18.8 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Austin, TX Edit |
Houston, TX Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 657.60 $ | 367.03 $ | -44.2 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 309.40 $ | 273.19 $ | -11.7 % |
Salaries And Financing | Austin, TX Edit |
Houston, TX Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 5,531.87 $ | 4,835.55 $ | -12.6 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.81 | 6.61 | -2.8 % |
| Last update: | May 2024 | May 2024 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 180 | 216 |
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 |