Monthly estimate = 1BR rent + electricity + gas
A one-person monthly baseline (1BR rent plus typical utilities) runs $1,650 in Austin, TX versus $1,350 in Houston, TX. Overall, Houston, TX is roughly 18% cheaper to live in day-to-day than Austin, TX, driven mainly by rent.
Median household income is $91,461 in Austin, TX and $62,894 in Houston, TX — about 31% higher in Austin, TX. Both cities are in Texas, so state taxes are identical: no state income tax and a 6.25% state sales tax.
Rent
Buying a Home
Income
People & Lifestyle
Crime (per 100k/yr)
FBI Crime Data Explorer. Offenses per 100,000 residents per year; agency reporting practices vary, so this is approximate.
Climate
Gas
Area: Texas vs Houston.
Public Transit
Adult base one-way fare — CapMetro vs Houston METRO (2026).
Utilities
Residential, state-level averages (EIA). MCF = 1,000 cubic feet.
Groceries
Average prices — South vs South (BLS). Regional where available, otherwise U.S. average.
State Taxes
Austin vs Houston — FAQ
- Is it cheaper to live in Austin or Houston?
- Houston, TX is cheaper. Its monthly baseline of $1,350 (1BR rent + utilities) runs about 18% below Austin, TX's $1,650, mainly because of rent.
- How much more do you need to earn to live in Austin than in Houston?
- To keep rent near the recommended 30% of gross income, you'd want to earn roughly $58,000 a year in Austin versus $46,000 in Houston.
- Which has lower taxes, Austin or Houston?
- Neither — both are in Texas, so they share the same state tax rates: no state income tax and a 6.25% state sales tax.
Sources: US Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year (rent, income, home value, demographics); NOAA Climate Normals 1981–2010 (climate); EIA weekly retail (gas); Tax Foundation 2026 (state taxes).