Moving from Houston to McAllen
Houston to McAllen: $797 less leftover
$2,363/mo leftover in McAllen vs $3,160 in Houston after tax and rent ($797 less). −$9,564 a year — not a moving-company quote.
Houston leftover
$3,160
a month after tax and rent
McAllen leftover
$2,363
−$797 vs Houston
Home
Only when you tap. We match the nearest metro and don't keep the coordinates.
Destination
Leftover is not a cost-of-living index. Leftover vs a COL index
Who already made this move
In 2022-2023, 734 households moved Houston → McAllen (about 1,491 people, average AGI $50,307). 874 households went the other way.
Source: IRS SOI county-to-county migration. Not a moving company; not a recommendation.
| Per month | Houston | McAllen |
|---|---|---|
| Take-home | $6,298 | $5,073 |
| Rent | $1,188 | $863 |
| All other costs | $1,950 | $1,847 |
| Left over | $3,160 | $2,363 |
Leftover is take-home after federal, state and city wage tax, minus asking rent at the bedroom count you set, minus a modelled month of groceries, utilities, healthcare, transport and childcare. It is not a cost-of-living index and not a moving quote. The dollar gap between Houston and McAllen moves when you change the job, remote versus local pay, or bedrooms. How the math works · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Full line-by-line comparison →
What the move itself costs
About 350 road miles, 1 bedroom. Typical ranges, not quotes.
- Full-service mover
- $1,900–$3,600
- Container or pod
- $1,300–$2,450
- Rent a truck
- $550–$1,050
Other moves from Houston
Dig into McAllen
Paycheck
Take-home pay after tax and rent, and what's left at the end of the month.
Who moved
Which metros people actually left and arrived from, according to IRS tax returns.
Rent vs buy
Asking rent, the median home, property tax, and months to a down payment.
Monthly costs
Groceries, getting around, utilities, healthcare and childcare at your household size.
Daily life
Homicide and firearm death rates, heat, cars and commute.
Kids
Public-school enrollment, pupil–teacher ratio, bedrooms and childcare.
Getting there
Typical cost to get here, then leftover after tax and rent — not a moving-company directory.
Questions
Is the cost of living lower in McAllen than Houston?
A one-bedroom is about $1,188 in Houston versus $863 in McAllen. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $797 a month lower in McAllen. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does McAllen have state income tax?
McAllen is in Texas, which has no state income tax.
Did people actually move from Houston to McAllen?
When IRS county-to-county data covers this pair, the page lists how many households made the Houston → McAllen move and their average AGI. Leftover after tax and rent is shown for the same household on both sides.