Cost of Living: South Portland, ME vs Houston, TX

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,137/mo in South Portland, ME versus $4,516/mo in Houston, TX. In the model, rent is about 24.02% of gross in South Portland, ME versus 19.13% in Houston, TX, so Houston, TX tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in South Portland, ME
$4,137/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Houston, TX
$4,516/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in South Portland, ME
24.02%
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 South Portland, ME 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: South Portland, ME

Cost of Living Index

South Portland, ME: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Houston, TX: 92.1 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

South Portland, ME: $1,566/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Houston, TX: $1,248/mo

Median rent in South Portland, ME is $318/mo higher than in Houston, TX.

Median Home Price

South Portland, ME: $405,800 · Houston, TX: $253,400

Median home price in South Portland, ME is $152,400 higher than in Houston, TX.

Median Household Income

South Portland, ME: $84,563 · Houston, TX: $62,894

South Portland, ME has a higher median household income than Houston, TX by $21,669.

South Portland, ME overview · Houston, TX overview · Popular comparisons