🇺🇸Cost of Living in Houston

United States · Population: 2,304,580 · Cost Index: 68/100

Cost of Living in Houston

United States · North America

Houston is the largest city in Texas and the fourth-most populous in the United States. Known as the energy capital of the world, Houston is home to NASA's Johnson Space Center and boasts a diverse economy, affordable living costs, and no state income tax.

2,304,580

Population

Cost Index

Safety Index

Quality of Life

Average Monthly Cost: $2,800 (single person, excluding rent)

Estimated monthly budget in Houston

Typical total monthly cost by household type.

Single person

$2,800

per month

Couple

$4,200

per month

Family of 4

$5,880

per month

Student

$2,100

per month

Estimates based on the average cost of living in Houston, scaled by household size. Actual costs vary with lifestyle, neighbourhood and housing.

Cost Breakdown

Housing

Avg: $2,000.00

1-Bedroom Apartment (City Center)(per month)

$1,650.00

1-Bedroom Apartment (Outside Center)(per month)

$1,150.00

3-Bedroom Apartment (City Center)(per month)

$3,200.00

3-Bedroom Apartment (Outside Center)(per month)

$2,000.00

Food & Groceries

Avg: $13.06

Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant(per meal)

$18.00

Meal for 2 at Mid-Range Restaurant(per meal)

$75.00

McMeal at McDonald's(per meal)

$9.50

Milk (1 liter)(per liter)

$1.05

Bread (500g loaf)(per loaf)

$3.20

Rice (1 kg)(per kg)

$3.80

Eggs (12)(per dozen)

$3.60

Chicken Breast (1 kg)(per kg)

$10.50

Apples (1 kg)(per kg)

$4.50

Banana (1 kg)(per kg)

$1.45

Transportation

Avg: $19.28

Monthly Public Transit Pass(per month)

$90.00

One-Way Ticket (Local Transport)(per trip)

$1.25

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)(base fare)

$2.75

Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff)(per km)

$1.55

Gasoline (1 liter)(per liter)

$0.85

Utilities

Avg: $85.00

Basic Utilities (85m² Apt)(per month)

$155.00

Mobile Phone Plan(per month)

$45.00

Internet (60 Mbps+)(per month)

$55.00

Healthcare

Avg: $120.00

Doctor Visit(per visit)

$180.00

Dentist Visit(per visit)

$140.00

Prescription Medicine (avg)(per prescription)

$40.00

Entertainment

Avg: $15.31

Fitness Club Monthly(per month)

$38.00

Cinema Ticket(per ticket)

$13.00

Cappuccino(per cup)

$4.25

Beer (0.5l) at Restaurant(per glass)

$6.00

Clothing

Avg: $53.33

Pair of Jeans (Levi's)(per pair)

$45.00

Summer Dress (Chain Store)(per item)

$35.00

Running Shoes (Nike, Adidas)(per pair)

$80.00

Popular Houston comparisons

Houston vs New York Houston vs Los Angeles Houston vs Chicago Houston vs Phoenix Houston vs London Houston vs Tokyo Houston vs Singapore Houston vs Dubai

Frequently asked questions about Houston

Is Houston expensive to live in?

Houston has a cost of living index of 68 out of 100, where New York City scores 100. This puts it in the mid-range among the cities we track.

How much money do you need to live in Houston?

A single person needs an estimated $2,800 per month to live in Houston, covering rent, food, transport and other essentials. A family or a more comfortable lifestyle will cost more.

What is the cost of living index in Houston?

Houston's cost of living index is 68 out of 100. The index is relative to New York City (100), so a score of 50 means overall costs are roughly half those of New York.

What is quality of life like in Houston?

Houston scores 55 out of 100 for quality of life and 40 out of 100 for safety in our index.

Data & sources

As an independent cross-check, the World Bank puts the overall price level in United States at 100 relative to the United States (=100) in 2024. View source

Cost figures on this site are independent estimates, cross-referenced with public data sources including World Bank, Numbeo, Eurostat, OECD.