Cost of Living: Salinas, 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 Salinas, CA versus $4,516/mo in Houston, TX. In the model, rent is about 28.03% of gross in Salinas, CA versus 19.13% in Houston, TX, so Houston, TX tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Salinas, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Houston, TX
$4,516/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Salinas, CA
28.03%
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 Salinas, 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: Salinas, CA

Cost of Living Index

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

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

Median Rent

Salinas, CA: $1,827/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Houston, TX: $1,248/mo

Median rent in Salinas, CA is $579/mo higher than in Houston, TX.

Median Home Price

Salinas, CA: $610,900 · Houston, TX: $253,400

Median home price in Salinas, CA is $357,500 higher than in Houston, TX.

Median Household Income

Salinas, CA: $89,150 · Houston, TX: $62,894

Salinas, CA has a higher median household income than Houston, TX by $26,256.

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