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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Austin skyline
Quintin Soloviev. CC BY 4.0. Photo source · License
Houston skyline
The original uploader was Marc Mongenet at French Wikipedia .. CC BY-SA 3.0. Photo source · License

Austin vs Houston

$11/mo less in Houston

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical month
Less leftMore left

AustinHoustonAbout 141 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • Houston costs you more
  • No state income tax
  • Property tax 1.75%

Same paycheck, two cities. $3,167/mo in Houston. $3,178/mo in Austin. −$132 a year.

Austin

$3,178

left each month

Houston

$3,167

−$11 vs Austin

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Houston wins 2 of 4Austin 2 · ties 0
$6,415Take-home · Austin$6,305
$1,221Rent · Houston$1,188
$2,016Other bills · Houston$1,950
$3,178Left over · Austin$3,167

Next

In 2022-2023, 5,331 households moved Austin → Houston (avg AGI $86,000). 7,107 went the other way. The whole move →

−$11 / mo

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical monthAustinHouston
Less leftMore left
Houston · this breakdownAustin · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Austin, TX and Houston, TX
Per monthAustinHoustonDifference
Gross pay$8,125$7,969−$156
Income and payroll tax$1,710$1,664−$46
Take-home pay$6,415$6,305−$110
Rent$1,221$1,188−$33
Getting around$566$572+$6
Groceries$400$380−$20
Healthcare$450$428−$22
Utilities$250$238−$12
Everything else$350$333−$17
Left over$3,178$3,167−$11

Salary to match Austin

$96,000

Gross pay in Houston that leaves the same amount as $97,500 in Austin.

Tax difference

$0

A year, in state and local income tax. Texas has no wage income tax.

More about Houston

Austin, TX in full

No income tax, but property taxes are among the steepest anywhere.

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 → Austin →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Houston than Austin?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Houston leaves about $11 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,221 in Austin 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 Austin 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 Austin 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.