Cost of Living: Palm Desert, 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 Palm Desert, CA versus $4,516/mo in Houston, TX. In the model, rent is about 25.01% of gross in Palm Desert, CA versus 19.13% in Houston, TX, so Houston, TX tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Palm Desert, 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: Palm Desert, CA
Cost of Living Index
Palm Desert, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Houston, TX: 92.1 (U.S. = 100)
Houston, TX has a lower cost-of-living index than Palm Desert, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Palm Desert, CA: $1,631/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Houston, TX: $1,248/mo
Median rent in Palm Desert, CA is $383/mo higher than in Houston, TX.
Median Home Price
Palm Desert, CA: $491,600 · Houston, TX: $253,400
Median home price in Palm Desert, CA is $238,200 higher than in Houston, TX.
Median Household Income
Palm Desert, CA: $79,508 · Houston, TX: $62,894
Palm Desert, CA has a higher median household income than Houston, TX by $16,614.
Palm Desert, CA overview · Houston, TX overview · Popular comparisons