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

Houston ranks #106 out of 577 cities globally. It is 6.9% cheaper than the United States average, based on 82 cities. The rent index is 38.1 and local purchasing power is 161.1.

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

Levnadskostnader i Houston

6.9% under United States-genomsnittet

Placering #106 av 577 städer · Dyrare än 81.6% av städerna i världen

-6.9%

Levnadskostnader

-7.7%

Hyra

-17.3%

Livsmedel

+11.7%

Köpkraft

Jämfört med United States-genomsnittet · Se United States-ranking →

Hyrespriser i Houston

Lägenhet	Innerstad	Utanför centrum	Du sparar
1 rum	USD 1,654/mo	USD 1,381/mo	17%
3 rum	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 53.7 (New York = 100, rent included), the average of 4 of 4 data sources.

53.7

Index

Sources

5.4

Gap between sources

Source Values (NYC = 100)

Numbeo

52.3

Expatistan

57.0

LivingCost

53.8

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 collected: Numbeo oktober 2026 · Expatistan mars 2026 · LivingCost oktober 2026 · SIM index mars 2026

Kostnadsindex

Levnadskostnader

-6.9% Average

Hyra

-7.7% Average

Livsmedel

-17.3% Affordable

Restauranger

-9.7% Affordable

Köpkraft

+11.7% Strong

Att bo i Houston: vad du kan förvänta dig

Houston är expensive enligt globala mått (plats #106 av 577 städer). 6.9% billigare än United States-genomsnittet, baserat på 82 städer.

Matvaror är affordable, medan att äta ute är affordable. Groceries erbjuder bäst värde, medan Rent är dyrast.

Den lokala köpkraften är stark: invånare har råd med fler varor och tjänster än i de flesta städer.