Cost of Living: Baltimore, MD vs Houston, TX

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,239/mo in Baltimore, MD versus $4,516/mo in Houston, TX. In the model, rent is about 18.81% of gross in Baltimore, MD versus 19.13% in Houston, TX, so Baltimore, MD tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Baltimore, MD
$4,239/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Houston, TX
$4,516/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Baltimore, MD
18.81%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Houston, TX
19.13%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Baltimore, MD and Houston, TX.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Baltimore, MD: 92.4 (U.S. = 100) · Houston, TX: 92.1 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Baltimore, MD: $1,226/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Houston, TX: $1,248/mo

Median rent in Houston, TX is $22/mo higher than in Baltimore, MD.

Median Home Price

Baltimore, MD: $219,300 · Houston, TX: $253,400

Median home price in Houston, TX is $34,100 higher than in Baltimore, MD.

Median Household Income

Baltimore, MD: $59,623 · Houston, TX: $62,894

Houston, TX has a higher median household income than Baltimore, MD by $3,271.

Baltimore, MD overview · Houston, TX overview · Popular comparisons