Cost of Living: Miami, FL vs Houston, TX

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,516/mo in Miami, FL versus $4,516/mo in Houston, TX. In the model, rent is about 24.14% of gross in Miami, FL versus 19.13% in Houston, TX, so Houston, TX tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Miami, FL
$4,516/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Houston, TX
$4,516/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Miami, FL
24.14%
COLI tier: higher-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Houston, TX
19.13%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Miami, FL and Houston, TX.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Houston, TX
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Houston, TX
  • Lower home prices: Houston, TX
  • Higher median household income: Houston, TX

Cost of Living Index

Miami, FL: 118.4 (U.S. = 100) · Houston, TX: 92.1 (U.S. = 100)

Houston, TX has a lower cost-of-living index than Miami, FL, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Miami, FL: $1,574/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Houston, TX: $1,248/mo

Median rent in Miami, FL is $326/mo higher than in Houston, TX.

Median Home Price

Miami, FL: $475,200 · Houston, TX: $253,400

Median home price in Miami, FL is $221,800 higher than in Houston, TX.

Median Household Income

Miami, FL: $59,390 · Houston, TX: $62,894

Houston, TX has a higher median household income than Miami, FL by $3,504.

Miami, FL overview · Houston, TX overview · Popular comparisons