

Houston vs Orlando
$976/mo less in Orlando
HoustonOrlandoAbout 849 miles apart, a flight.
- Orlando costs you more
- No state income tax
- Rent under 30% of pay
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,184/mo in Orlando. $3,160/mo in Houston. −$11,712 a year.
Houston
$3,160
left each month
Orlando
$2,184
−$976 vs Houston
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 558 households moved Houston → Orlando (avg AGI $66,803). 831 went the other way. The whole move →
−$976 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Houston | Orlando | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,958 | $7,100 | −$858 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,661 | $1,406 | −$254 |
| Take-home pay | $6,298 | $5,694 | −$604 |
| Rent | $1,188 | $1,488 | +$300 |
| Getting around | $572 | $586 | +$14 |
| Groceries | $380 | $396 | +$16 |
| Healthcare | $428 | $446 | +$18 |
| Utilities | $238 | $248 | +$10 |
| Everything else | $333 | $347 | +$14 |
| Left over | $3,160 | $2,184 | −$976 |
Salary to match Houston
$102,000
Gross pay in Orlando that leaves the same amount as $95,500 in Houston.
Tax difference
$0
A year, in state and local income tax. Florida has no wage income tax.
More about Orlando
Houston, TX in full
The cheapest housing of any top-10 metro, paid for in property tax and humidity.
Orlando, FL in full
No income tax, but a service economy holds wages below the national median.
The other way
Start in Orlando.
Orlando → Houston →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Orlando than Houston?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Orlando leaves about $976 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,188 in Houston and $1,488 in Orlando.
Does Orlando have state income tax?
Orlando is in Florida, which has no state income tax.
What changes if you move from Houston to Orlando?
The paycheck is taxed in Florida. 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 Houston and Orlando 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.