Route comparison
Austin, TX vs Houston, TX: Cost of Living
Compare the cost of living between Austin, TX and Houston, TX. See the equivalent salary and median rent powered by BLS Regional Price Parities.
Austin, TX
TX
- Overall RPP (US=100)
- 98.8
- Housing RPP
- 126.4
- Goods RPP
- 93.6
- 2-BR median rent
- $1,924/mo
Texas has no state income tax. Property taxes ~2% effective rate.
Houston, TX
TX
- Overall RPP (US=100)
- 98.8
- Housing RPP
- 108
- Goods RPP
- 97.9
- 2-BR median rent
- $1,357/mo
Texas has no state income tax. Property taxes ~2% effective rate.
Equivalent salary
Houston, TX is more expensive than Austin, TX by about 0.0% (RPP 98.8 to 98.8).
$60,000 in Austin, TX
-> $60,000
in Houston, TX
$100,000 in Austin, TX
-> $100,000
in Houston, TX
$150,000 in Austin, TX
-> $150,000
in Houston, TX
This tool provides estimates only. Equivalent-salary figures are derived from BLS Regional Price Parities (RPP) and HUD Fair Market Rents — they are averages, not guarantees. Actual cost of living varies by neighborhood, lifestyle, and individual circumstances. Not financial advice.
Migration signal: Austin, TX vs Houston, TX
IRS tax-return migration · 2021-2022Austin, TX
- Net people
- +18,016
- Net rank
- #9 of 65
- Top origin share
- 4%
- Top destination share
- 3%
Largest source: Harris County, TX. Largest destination: Bexar County, TX.
Houston, TX
- Net people
- +37,392
- Net rank
- #3 of 65
- Top origin share
- 2%
- Top destination share
- 2%
Largest source: Travis County, TX. Largest destination: Travis County, TX.
Rent delta: Houston, TX is $567/mo lower for HUD FY2024 2-BR FMR than Austin, TX. Housing RPP moves from 126.4 to 108.
Migration figures are derived from IRS SOI county-to-county migration data for 2021-2022, mapped to metros via Census CBSA delineation. Small county-to-county flows are IRS-suppressed, so per-metro totals are lower bounds. Source: IRS SOI migration data.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Houston, TX cheaper or more expensive than Austin, TX?
- Houston, TX (RPP 98.8) is more expensive than Austin, TX (RPP 98.8) by about 0.0%.
- What salary do I need in Houston, TX if I earn $100,000 in Austin, TX?
- You would need approximately $100,000 in Houston, TX to maintain the same purchasing power as $100,000 in Austin, TX. Formula: $100,000 x (98.8 / 98.8).
- Which metro had stronger net migration, Austin, TX or Houston, TX?
- For 2021-2022, Austin, TX had a net gain of 18,016 people, while Houston, TX had a net gain of 37,392 people. IRS small-flow suppression means these are lower-bound research signals, not complete population-change totals.