Cost of Living: Brookline, MA vs Houston, TX

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,224/mo in Brookline, MA versus $4,516/mo in Houston, TX. In the model, rent is about 40.85% of gross in Brookline, MA versus 19.13% in Houston, TX, so Houston, TX tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Brookline, MA
$4,224/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Houston, TX
$4,516/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Brookline, MA
40.85%
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 Brookline, MA 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: Brookline, MA

Cost of Living Index

Brookline, MA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Houston, TX: 92.1 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Brookline, MA: $2,664/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Houston, TX: $1,248/mo

Median rent in Brookline, MA is $1,416/mo higher than in Houston, TX.

Median Home Price

Brookline, MA: $1,233,100 · Houston, TX: $253,400

Median home price in Brookline, MA is $979,700 higher than in Houston, TX.

Median Household Income

Brookline, MA: $140,631 · Houston, TX: $62,894

Brookline, MA has a higher median household income than Houston, TX by $77,737.

Brookline, MA overview · Houston, TX overview · Popular comparisons