What is the average rent in Houston?

A 1-bedroom apartment in Houston city centre costs approximately USD 1,654 per month. Outside the centre, rent drops to USD 1,381 (saving 17%). A 3-bedroom apartment in the centre costs around USD 3,097.

Is Houston affordable to live in?

Houston is expensive by global standards. Groceries are affordable, restaurants are affordable, and local purchasing power is strong.

🇺🇸 TX, United States · 2026

Cost of Living in Houston

Q: How expensive is Houston compared to the rest of United States?

Houston ranks #104 out of 577 cities globally. It is 7.1% cheaper than the United States average, based on 82 cities. The rent index is 38.1 and local purchasing power is 161.1.

7.1% below the United States average

Ranked #104 of 577 cities · More expensive than 82% of cities worldwide

-7.1%

Cost of Living

-7.7%

Rent

-17.3%

Groceries

+11.7%

Purchasing Power

Compared to United States average · See United States ranking →

Rent Prices in Houston

Apartment	City Centre	Outside Centre	You Save
1-Bedroom	USD 1,654/mo	USD 1,381/mo	17%
3-Bedroom	USD 3,097/mo	USD 2,174/mo	30%

Numbeo · 2026-10-02

Prices of Goods & Services in Houston

Groceries

Item	Price	Sources
Apples (1kg)	$4.12	1 source
Beer (0.5L, supermarket)	$2.32	1 source
Bread (500g)	$3.34	1 source
Local cheese (1kg)	$12.31	1 source
Chicken (1kg)	$12.07	1 source
Cigarettes (Marlboro)	$9.46	1 source
Milk (1L)	$0.88	1 source
Wine (mid-range)	$12.48	1 source

Apples (1kg)

$4.12

Beer (0.5L, supermarket)

$2.32

Bread (500g)

$3.34

Local cheese (1kg)

$12.31

Chicken (1kg)

$12.07

Cigarettes (Marlboro)

$9.46

Milk (1L)

$0.88

Wine (mid-range)

$12.48

Restaurants

Item	Price	Sources
Draft beer (0.5L)	$6.00	1 source
Cheap meal	$20.00	1 source
Mid-range dinner (2 people)	$77.50	1 source

Draft beer (0.5L)

$6.00

Cheap meal

$20.00

Mid-range dinner (2 people)

$77.50

Leisure

Item	Price	Sources
Cinema ticket	$14.50	1 source
Gym membership	$40.71	1 source

Cinema ticket

$14.50

Gym membership

$40.71

Transportation

Item	Price	Sources
Gasoline (1L)	$0.72	1 source
Taxi start	$2.91	1 source
Monthly pass	$75.00	1 source

Gasoline (1L)

$0.72

Taxi start

$2.91

Monthly pass

$75.00

Clothing & Shoes

Item	Price	Sources
Sport shoes (Nike)	$102.18	1 source
Summer dress (Zara/H&M)	$40.22	1 source

Sport shoes (Nike)

$102.18

Summer dress (Zara/H&M)

$40.22

Utilities

Item	Price	Sources
Basic utilities (85m²)	$214.11	1 source

Basic utilities (85m²)

$214.11

Prices in local currency, cross-referenced from multiple independent sources. October 2026.

Multi-Source Comparison

★★★ High Confidence

Houston has a cost of living index of 53.6 (New York = 100, rent included), the average of 4 of 4 data sources.

53.6

Index

Sources

5.4

Gap between sources

Source Values (NYC = 100)

Numbeo

52.3

Expatistan

57.0

LivingCost

53.3

ShouldIMove price index

51.6

ShouldIMove price index: our own basket of real item prices plus rent.

Eurostat Validation (EU27 = 100) Gov. Data

Eurostat

100.4

Based on 108 country PLI x 0.93 city factor

View all 577 cities | Data last updated: 2026-03-18

Cost Indices

Cost of Living

-7.1% Average

Rent

-7.7% Average

Groceries

-17.3% Affordable

Restaurants

-9.7% Affordable

Purchasing Power

+11.7% Strong

Living in Houston: What to Expect

Houston is expensive by global standards (ranked #104 of 577 cities). It is 7.1% cheaper than the United States average, based on 82 cities.

Groceries are affordable and dining out is affordable. The best value is groceries and the priciest is rent.

Local purchasing power is strong: residents can afford more goods and services than in most cities.

Cost of Living in Houston

Rent Prices in Houston

Prices of Goods & Services in Houston

Groceries

Restaurants

Leisure

Transportation

Clothing & Shoes

Utilities

Multi-Source Comparison

Source Values (NYC = 100)

Cost Indices

Living in Houston: What to Expect

How Does Houston Compare?

Planning a Move to Houston?