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Cost of living
in Houston
$2,719
Average cost per month
Distribution of expenses
Housing
41%Healthcare
12%Groceries
16%Utilities
10%Transit
2%Other
18%
Estimated monthly costs for one adult: typical rent across the metro area, USDA's moderate-cost food plan and U.S. government spending data — a typical budget, not a minimum.
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What makes Houston special?
Houston is a flat, low-lying city near the Gulf of Mexico, drained by bayous and prone to flooding, as Hurricane Harvey showed in 2017. Energy, the Texas Medical Center and NASA's Johnson Space Center shape its economy, and its port leads the US in international waterborne tonnage. It is the largest US city without formal zoning, and 44% of residents were Hispanic or Latino in 2020.
Monthly costs in Houston
What everyday life costs in each city, side by side.
A full-time minimum-wage job in Houston pays about $1,257 a month, $1,462 short of these costs.
| Total | |
|---|---|
| Housing | $1,123 |
| Healthcare | $337 |
| Groceries | $444 |
| Utilities | $276 |
| Transit | $55 |
| Other | $484 |
Estimated monthly costs for one adult: typical rent across the metro area, USDA's moderate-cost food plan and U.S. government spending data — a typical budget, not a minimum.
Sources, updated September 2026: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (Regional Price Parities, 2024); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Consumer Expenditure Surveys, 2024; Consumer Price Index); U.S. Department of Agriculture (Food Plans, July 2026); Federal Communications Commission (Urban Rate Survey, 2026); U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (Fair Market Rents, FY2026); U.S. Energy Information Administration (weekly retail gasoline prices); official fare pages of each city's transit agency; Latin America: crowdsourced cost-of-living platforms, used for reference.
Life in Houston
A few things that make Houston more than a number.
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Often ranked the most ethnically diverse big city in the US.
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Compare Houston with…
Side-by-side monthly costs for Houston and each city in the tool.
- Barranquilla
- Bogotá
- Bucaramanga
- Cali
- Caracas
- Cartagena
- Cúcuta
- Cuenca
- Guayaquil
- Lima
- Medellín
- Pereira
- Quito
- Valencia
Cost of living in other US cities
Monthly costs for one person, city by city.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to live in Houston?
About $2,719 a month for one adult, including rent for a one-bedroom apartment ($1,123). That covers housing, healthcare, groceries, utilities, transit and other everyday spending.
How much does a couple need to live in Houston?
About $3,980 a month for two adults sharing a one-bedroom apartment. Rent and home internet are shared, so two people pay less than double.
What is the typical rent in Houston?
A one-bedroom apartment rents for about $1,123 a month, a two-bedroom for about $1,226 and a three-bedroom for about $1,741. These are rents only; utilities are counted separately.
How much are groceries and utilities in Houston?
For one adult, groceries run about $444 a month and utilities about $276, including home internet.
How much does transportation cost in Houston?
About $55 a month for one adult.
Can you live on minimum wage in Houston?
A full-time minimum-wage job in Houston ($7.25 an hour) pays about $1,257 a month before taxes. Typical costs for one adult there are about $2,719 a month. Add your own income on this page to see what would be left.
Is Houston expensive compared with other U.S. cities?
Of the 15 U.S. cities in this tool, Houston is number 15 by monthly cost for one adult (1 is the most expensive).
How is the cost of living measured?
We add up typical monthly costs for one adult in six categories: housing, healthcare, groceries, utilities, transit and other everyday spending. U.S. figures are calculated from government data (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, HUD and the Energy Information Administration) plus transit agencies' published fares. Latin American figures come from crowdsourced cost-of-living platforms, and their healthcare costs are a modeled estimate. Minimum wages are each city's local rate where it has one, otherwise the state rate published by the U.S. Department of Labor. Figures were last updated in 2026.
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