Cost of Living: Brownsville, TX 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 Brownsville, TX versus $4,516/mo in Houston, TX. In the model, rent is about 13.1% of gross in Brownsville, TX versus 19.13% in Houston, TX, so Brownsville, TX tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Brownsville, TX
$4,516/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Houston, TX
$4,516/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Brownsville, TX
13.1%
COLI tier: lower-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Houston, TX
19.13%
COLI tier: mid-range

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

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Brownsville, TX: 79.8 (U.S. = 100) · Houston, TX: 92.1 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Brownsville, TX: $854/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Houston, TX: $1,248/mo

Median rent in Houston, TX is $394/mo higher than in Brownsville, TX.

Median Home Price

Brownsville, TX: $120,000 · Houston, TX: $253,400

Median home price in Houston, TX is $133,400 higher than in Brownsville, TX.

Median Household Income

Brownsville, TX: $51,334 · Houston, TX: $62,894

Houston, TX has a higher median household income than Brownsville, TX by $11,560.

Brownsville, TX overview · Houston, TX overview · Popular comparisons