Cost of Living: Oakland, 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 Oakland, CA versus $4,516/mo in Houston, TX. In the model, rent is about 27.93% of gross in Oakland, CA versus 19.13% in Houston, TX, so Houston, TX tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Oakland, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Houston, TX
$4,516/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Oakland, CA
27.93%
COLI tier: very high-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Houston, TX
19.13%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Oakland, CA and Houston, TX.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Oakland, CA: 165.2 (U.S. = 100) · Houston, TX: 92.1 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Oakland, CA: $1,821/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Houston, TX: $1,248/mo

Median rent in Oakland, CA is $573/mo higher than in Houston, TX.

Median Home Price

Oakland, CA: $924,700 · Houston, TX: $253,400

Median home price in Oakland, CA is $671,300 higher than in Houston, TX.

Median Household Income

Oakland, CA: $97,369 · Houston, TX: $62,894

Oakland, CA has a higher median household income than Houston, TX by $34,475.

Oakland, CA overview · Houston, TX overview · Popular comparisons