Cost of Living: Columbia, SC vs Houston, TX
Quick rent-and-take-home comparison
Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,143/mo in Columbia, SC versus $4,516/mo in Houston, TX. In the model, rent is about 16.87% of gross in Columbia, SC versus 19.13% in Houston, TX, so Columbia, SC tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Columbia, SC and Houston, TX.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Houston, TX
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Columbia, SC
- Lower home prices: Columbia, SC
- Higher median household income: Houston, TX
Cost of Living Index
Columbia, SC: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Houston, TX: 92.1 (U.S. = 100)
Houston, TX has a lower cost-of-living index than Columbia, SC, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Columbia, SC: $1,100/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Houston, TX: $1,248/mo
Median rent in Houston, TX is $148/mo higher than in Columbia, SC.
Median Home Price
Columbia, SC: $243,500 · Houston, TX: $253,400
Median home price in Houston, TX is $9,900 higher than in Columbia, SC.
Median Household Income
Columbia, SC: $55,653 · Houston, TX: $62,894
Houston, TX has a higher median household income than Columbia, SC by $7,241.
Columbia, SC overview · Houston, TX overview · Popular comparisons