Cost of Living: Columbus, IN vs Houston, TX

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,332/mo in Columbus, IN versus $4,516/mo in Houston, TX. In the model, rent is about 16.54% of gross in Columbus, IN versus 19.13% in Houston, TX, so Columbus, IN tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Columbus, IN
$4,332/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Houston, TX
$4,516/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Columbus, IN
16.54%
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 Columbus, IN and Houston, TX.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Columbus, IN: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Houston, TX: 92.1 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Columbus, IN: $1,079/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Houston, TX: $1,248/mo

Median rent in Houston, TX is $169/mo higher than in Columbus, IN.

Median Home Price

Columbus, IN: $231,000 · Houston, TX: $253,400

Median home price in Houston, TX is $22,400 higher than in Columbus, IN.

Median Household Income

Columbus, IN: $76,856 · Houston, TX: $62,894

Columbus, IN has a higher median household income than Houston, TX by $13,962.

Columbus, IN overview · Houston, TX overview · Popular comparisons