Cost of Living: Baton Rouge, LA vs Houston, TX

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,268/mo in Baton Rouge, LA versus $4,516/mo in Houston, TX. In the model, rent is about 15.21% of gross in Baton Rouge, LA versus 19.13% in Houston, TX, so Baton Rouge, LA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Baton Rouge, LA
$4,268/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Houston, TX
$4,516/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Baton Rouge, LA
15.21%
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 Baton Rouge, LA and Houston, TX.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Baton Rouge, LA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Houston, TX: 92.1 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Baton Rouge, LA: $992/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Houston, TX: $1,248/mo

Median rent in Houston, TX is $256/mo higher than in Baton Rouge, LA.

Median Home Price

Baton Rouge, LA: $224,500 · Houston, TX: $253,400

Median home price in Houston, TX is $28,900 higher than in Baton Rouge, LA.

Median Household Income

Baton Rouge, LA: $49,944 · Houston, TX: $62,894

Houston, TX has a higher median household income than Baton Rouge, LA by $12,950.

Baton Rouge, LA overview · Houston, TX overview · Popular comparisons