Cost of Living: Columbia, MO vs Houston, TX

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,227/mo in Columbia, MO versus $4,516/mo in Houston, TX. In the model, rent is about 15.55% of gross in Columbia, MO versus 19.13% in Houston, TX, so Columbia, MO tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Columbia, MO
$4,227/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Houston, TX
$4,516/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Columbia, MO
15.55%
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 Columbia, MO and Houston, TX.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Columbia, MO: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Houston, TX: 92.1 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Columbia, MO: $1,014/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Houston, TX: $1,248/mo

Median rent in Houston, TX is $234/mo higher than in Columbia, MO.

Median Home Price

Columbia, MO: $268,300 · Houston, TX: $253,400

Median home price in Columbia, MO is $14,900 higher than in Houston, TX.

Median Household Income

Columbia, MO: $64,488 · Houston, TX: $62,894

Columbia, MO has a higher median household income than Houston, TX by $1,594.

Columbia, MO overview · Houston, TX overview · Popular comparisons