Cost of Living: Charlotte, NC vs Houston, TX

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,254/mo in Charlotte, NC versus $4,516/mo in Houston, TX. In the model, rent is about 21.91% of gross in Charlotte, NC versus 19.13% in Houston, TX, so Houston, TX tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Charlotte, NC
$4,254/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Houston, TX
$4,516/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Charlotte, NC
21.91%
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 Charlotte, NC 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: Charlotte, NC

Cost of Living Index

Charlotte, NC: 95.6 (U.S. = 100) · Houston, TX: 92.1 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Charlotte, NC: $1,429/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Houston, TX: $1,248/mo

Median rent in Charlotte, NC is $181/mo higher than in Houston, TX.

Median Home Price

Charlotte, NC: $351,500 · Houston, TX: $253,400

Median home price in Charlotte, NC is $98,100 higher than in Houston, TX.

Median Household Income

Charlotte, NC: $78,438 · Houston, TX: $62,894

Charlotte, NC has a higher median household income than Houston, TX by $15,544.

Charlotte, NC overview · Houston, TX overview · Popular comparisons