

Baton Rouge vs Houston
$516/mo more in Houston
Baton RougeHoustonAbout 257 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Houston leaves you more
- No state income tax
- Property tax 1.75%
Same paycheck, two cities. $3,171/mo in Houston. $2,655/mo in Baton Rouge. +$6,192 a year.
Baton Rouge
$2,655
left each month
Houston
$3,171
+$516 vs Baton Rouge
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 957 households moved Baton Rouge → Houston (avg AGI $69,203). 464 went the other way. The whole move →
+$516 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Baton Rouge | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,208 | $7,975 | +$766 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,623 | $1,666 | +$42 |
| Take-home pay | $5,585 | $6,309 | +$724 |
| Rent | $1,065 | $1,188 | +$123 |
| Getting around | $560 | $572 | +$12 |
| Groceries | $360 | $380 | +$20 |
| Healthcare | $405 | $428 | +$23 |
| Utilities | $225 | $238 | +$13 |
| Everything else | $315 | $333 | +$18 |
| Left over | $2,655 | $3,171 | +$516 |
Salary to match Baton Rouge
$87,000
Gross pay in Houston that leaves the same amount as $86,500 in Baton Rouge.
Tax difference
+$2,220
A year, in state and local income tax. Texas has no wage income tax.
More about Houston
Baton Rouge, LA in full
A flat 3% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,268 and 230 sunny days; commutes average 27 minutes.
Houston, TX in full
The cheapest housing of any top-10 metro, paid for in property tax and humidity.
The other way
Start in Houston.
Houston → Baton Rouge →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Houston than Baton Rouge?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Houston leaves about $516 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,065 in Baton Rouge and $1,188 in Houston.
Does Houston have state income tax?
Houston is in Texas, which has no state income tax.
What changes if you move from Baton Rouge to Houston?
The paycheck is taxed in Texas. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Baton Rouge and Houston changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.