Living Cost Comparison

Houston offers a low cost of living while maintaining a high quality of life with the
amenities expected in a world-class city.

Cost of Living Comparison

20 Most Populous U.S. Metros*

New York (Manhattan), NY 145.7

San Francisco, CA 94.7
Washington, DC 60.7
Seattle, WA 56.7
Boston, MA 48.8
Los Angeles, CA 46.6
Miami, FL 17.1
Denver, CO 11.1
Baltimore, MD 10.5
Philadelphia, PA 10.4
Dallas, TX 7.6
Minneapolis, MN 5.7
Phoenix, AZ 0.9
Detroit, MI 0.6
Atlanta, GA -0.1
Chicago, IL -1.3
Houston, TX -4.4
Charlotte, NC -7.5
St. Louis, MO -12.1

% Above/Below U.S. Average

Source: Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER), Cost of Living Index, Annual Average
2020 (Data based on a survey of 257 urban areas, published May 2020).
*Metro areas represented by most dominant urban area. Riverside, California is among the 20 most
populous MSAs, but did not submit COLI data.

 The C2ER Cost of Living Index for the first quarter of ’20 shows Houston has the third lowest cost of
living among the nation’s 20 most populous metropolitan areas. Houston’s overall after-taxes living
costs are 4.4 percent below the average for all 257 urban areas participating in the survey.

 Among the nation’s 20 most populous metro areas, Houston’s housing costs are 49.1 percent below
the average, and its overall costs are 24.1 percent below the average for this group. Excluding the two
most expensive housing markets — New York and San Francisco — which tend to skew the average,
Houston’s costs remain lower than the majority, with housing costs at 36.8 percent below and overall
costs at 16.7 percent below the major metro average.

Greater Houston Partnership Research Updated May 2020