

Houston vs Oklahoma City
$621/mo less in Oklahoma City
HoustonOklahoma CityAbout 409 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Oklahoma City costs you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- 235 sunny days
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,539/mo in Oklahoma City. $3,160/mo in Houston. −$7,452 a year.
Houston
$3,160
left each month
Oklahoma City
$2,539
−$621 vs Houston
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 453 households moved Houston → Oklahoma City (avg AGI $82,746). 412 went the other way. The whole move →
−$621 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Houston | Oklahoma City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,958 | $7,022 | −$936 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,661 | $1,676 | +$15 |
| Take-home pay | $6,298 | $5,346 | −$951 |
| Rent | $1,188 | $960 | −$228 |
| Getting around | $572 | $542 | −$30 |
| Groceries | $380 | $360 | −$20 |
| Healthcare | $428 | $405 | −$23 |
| Utilities | $238 | $225 | −$13 |
| Everything else | $333 | $315 | −$18 |
| Left over | $3,160 | $2,539 | −$621 |
Salary to match Houston
$95,500
Gross pay in Oklahoma City that leaves the same amount as $95,500 in Houston.
Tax difference
−$3,512
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 20.9% in Houston, 23.9% in Oklahoma City.
More about Oklahoma City
Houston, TX in full
The cheapest housing of any top-10 metro, paid for in property tax and humidity.
Oklahoma City, OK in full
The cheapest housing of any metro over a million people.
The other way
Start in Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma City → Houston →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Oklahoma City than Houston?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Oklahoma City leaves about $621 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,188 in Houston and $960 in Oklahoma City.
Does Oklahoma City have state income tax?
Oklahoma City is in Oklahoma, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Houston to Oklahoma City?
The paycheck is taxed in Oklahoma. 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 Oklahoma City 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.