Cost of Living: El Centro, CA vs Houston, TX
Quick rent-and-take-home comparison
Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in El Centro, CA versus $4,516/mo in Houston, TX. In the model, rent is about 14.45% of gross in El Centro, CA versus 19.13% in Houston, TX, so El Centro, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between El Centro, CA and Houston, TX.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Houston, TX
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): El Centro, CA
- Lower home prices: Houston, TX
- Higher median household income: Houston, TX
Cost of Living Index
El Centro, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Houston, TX: 92.1 (U.S. = 100)
Houston, TX has a lower cost-of-living index than El Centro, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
El Centro, CA: $943/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Houston, TX: $1,248/mo
Median rent in Houston, TX is $305/mo higher than in El Centro, CA.
Median Home Price
El Centro, CA: $291,100 · Houston, TX: $253,400
Median home price in El Centro, CA is $37,700 higher than in Houston, TX.
Median Household Income
El Centro, CA: $56,093 · Houston, TX: $62,894
Houston, TX has a higher median household income than El Centro, CA by $6,801.
El Centro, CA overview · Houston, TX overview · Popular comparisons