Cost of Living: Memphis, TN vs Houston, TX

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,516/mo in Memphis, TN versus $4,516/mo in Houston, TX. In the model, rent is about 16.37% of gross in Memphis, TN versus 19.13% in Houston, TX, so Memphis, TN tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Memphis, TN
$4,516/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Houston, TX
$4,516/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Memphis, TN
16.37%
COLI tier: lower-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Houston, TX
19.13%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Memphis, TN and Houston, TX.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Memphis, TN: 82.5 (U.S. = 100) · Houston, TX: 92.1 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Memphis, TN: $1,067/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Houston, TX: $1,248/mo

Median rent in Houston, TX is $181/mo higher than in Memphis, TN.

Median Home Price

Memphis, TN: $157,100 · Houston, TX: $253,400

Median home price in Houston, TX is $96,300 higher than in Memphis, TN.

Median Household Income

Memphis, TN: $51,211 · Houston, TX: $62,894

Houston, TX has a higher median household income than Memphis, TN by $11,683.

Memphis, TN overview · Houston, TX overview · Popular comparisons