Head to head
Chicago, IL vs Houston, TX
Houston is cheaper — estimated essentials for a single person run about $117/mo less, and living comfortably there takes roughly $7,500 less in annual salary (taxes included).
It flips for a family. For a household of four, Chicago is the cheaper of the two — rent scales to household size using each city's own bedroom spread, and that spread is far steeper in some markets than others.
| Metric | Chicago62 | Houston59 |
|---|---|---|
| Est. monthly cost (single) | $4,110 | $3,993 |
| Est. monthly cost (household of 4) | $7,504 | $7,739 |
| Salary for comfort | $77,500/yr | $70,000/yr |
| Typical rent | $1,781 | $1,573 |
| Median home value | $315,200 | $253,400 |
| Median household income | $75,134 | $62,894 |
| Unemployment | 5.4% | 4.5% |
| Housing score | 54 | 53 |
| Jobs score | 7 | 46 |
| Safety score | 66 | 4 |
| Climate score | 92 | 98 |
| Amenities score | 73 | 69 |
| Population | 2.7M | 2.3M |
| Summer high / winter low | 83° / 20° | 93° / 44° |
Fit scores use the reference profile (single, $6,700/mo gross, default weights). Green marks the better value per row.
Chicago, IL
Houston, TX