Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Houston, TX 

Indices DifferenceInfo
Cost of Living in Houston, TX is 35.3% lower than in New York, NY (excluding rent)
Cost of Living Including Rent in Houston, TX is 47.0% lower than in New York, NY
Rent Prices in Houston, TX are 60.6% lower than in New York, NY
Restaurant Prices in Houston, TX are 29.2% lower than in New York, NY
Groceries Prices in Houston, TX are 32.5% lower than in New York, NY
Local Purchasing Power in Houston, TX is 67.3% higher than in New York, NY
Currency: Sticky Currency      Switch to metric measurement units
Restaurants
New York, NY Edit Houston, TX Edit Difference
Meal at an Inexpensive Restaurant 25.00 $ 20.00 $      -20.0 %
Meal for Two at a Mid-Range Restaurant (Three Courses, Without Drinks) 140.00 $ 75.00 $      -46.4 %
Combo Meal at McDonald's (or Equivalent Fast-Food Meal) 14.00 $ 10.00 $      -28.6 %
Domestic Draft Beer (1 Pint) 8.00 $ 6.00 $      -25.0 %
Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) 10.00 $ 7.50 $      -25.0 %
Cappuccino (Regular Size) 5.70 $ 5.62 $      -1.4 %
Soft Drink (Coca-Cola or Pepsi, 12 oz Small Bottle) 3.28 $ 2.82 $      -14.3 %
Bottled Water (12 oz) 2.66 $ 2.09 $      -21.4 %
Markets
New York, NY Edit Houston, TX Edit
Milk (Regular, 1 Liter) 1.31 $ 0.87 $      -33.9 %
Fresh White Bread (1 lb Loaf) 4.20 $ 3.11 $      -25.8 %
White Rice (1 lb) 3.51 $ 1.91 $      -45.5 %
Eggs (12, Large Size) 6.15 $ 4.34 $      -29.5 %
Local Cheese (1 lb) 7.52 $ 5.61 $      -25.4 %
Chicken Fillets (1 lb) 6.98 $ 5.53 $      -20.8 %
Beef Round or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat (1 lb) 9.20 $ 7.59 $      -17.6 %
Apples (1 lb) 3.17 $ 1.90 $      -39.8 %
Bananas (1 lb) 1.15 $ 0.73 $      -36.1 %
Oranges (1 lb) 2.82 $ 1.68 $      -40.5 %
Tomatoes (1 lb) 2.91 $ 1.42 $      -51.1 %
Potatoes (1 lb) 1.47 $ 1.38 $      -6.4 %
Onions (1 lb) 1.72 $ 1.21 $      -30.0 %
Lettuce (1 Head) 2.94 $ 1.79 $      -39.2 %
Bottled Water (50 oz) 2.59 $ 1.99 $      -23.2 %
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) 19.99 $ 12.48 $      -37.6 %
Domestic Beer (16.9 oz Bottle) 3.38 $ 2.32 $      -31.3 %
Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) 4.01 $ 3.18 $      -20.5 %
Cigarettes (Pack of 20, Marlboro) 19.00 $ 9.46 $      -50.2 %
Transportation
New York, NY Edit Houston, TX Edit
One-Way Ticket (Local Transport) 3.00 $ 1.25 $      -58.3 %
Monthly Public Transport Pass (Regular Price) 135.00 $ 75.00 $      -44.4 %
Taxi Start (Standard Tariff) 3.00 $ 2.91 $      -3.0 %
Taxi 1 mile (Standard Tariff) 3.50 $ 2.31 $      -33.9 %
Taxi 1 Hour Waiting (Standard Tariff) 42.00 $ 24.00 $      -42.9 %
Gasoline (1 Liter) 0.91 $ 0.72 $      -21.2 %
Volkswagen Golf 1.5 (or Equivalent New Compact Car) 35,229.00 $ 36,232.00 $      +2.8 %
Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6 (or Equivalent New Mid-Size Car) 25,824.12 $ 26,088.94 $      +1.0 %
Utilities (Monthly)
New York, NY Edit Houston, TX Edit
Basic Utilities for 915 Square Feet Apartment (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) 201.76 $ 210.87 $      +4.5 %
Mobile Phone Plan (Monthly, with Calls and 10GB+ Data) 66.40 $ 68.42 $      +3.0 %
Broadband Internet (Unlimited Data, 60 Mbps or Higher) 72.30 $ 73.36 $      +1.5 %
Sports And Leisure
New York, NY Edit Houston, TX Edit
Monthly Fitness Club Membership 128.11 $ 41.67 $      -67.5 %
Tennis Court Rental (1 Hour, Weekend) 68.15 $ 20.00 $      -70.7 %
Cinema Ticket (International Release) 22.00 $ 14.75 $      -33.0 %
Childcare
New York, NY Edit Houston, TX Edit
Private Full-Day Preschool or Kindergarten, Monthly Fee per Child 3,389.82 $ 2,193.79 $      -35.3 %
International Primary School, Annual Tuition per Child 59,207.20 $ 22,233.33 $      -62.4 %
Clothing And Shoes
New York, NY Edit Houston, TX Edit
Jeans (Levi's 501 or Similar) 67.80 $ 46.58 $      -31.3 %
Summer Dress in a Chain Store (e.g. Zara or H&M) 52.61 $ 40.22 $      -23.6 %
Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) 114.42 $ 102.96 $      -10.0 %
Men's Leather Business Shoes 152.50 $ 104.20 $      -31.7 %
Rent Per Month
New York, NY Edit Houston, TX Edit
1 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre 4,295.67 $ 1,695.53 $      -60.5 %
1 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre 2,861.00 $ 1,348.00 $      -52.9 %
3 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre 9,425.00 $ 3,195.12 $      -66.1 %
3 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre 5,376.32 $ 2,408.59 $      -55.2 %
Buy Apartment Price
New York, NY Edit Houston, TX Edit
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre 1,831.20 $ 239.10 $      -86.9 %
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre 812.69 $ 179.87 $      -77.9 %
Salaries And Financing
New York, NY Edit Houston, TX Edit
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) 5,167.74 $ 4,577.19 $      -11.4 %
Annual Mortgage Interest Rate (20-Year Fixed, in %) 6.85 6.45      -5.9 %
Last update: 17 April 202621 April 2026
Contributors in the past 12 months:274118