Cost of Living: Sunnyvale, 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 Sunnyvale, CA versus $4,516/mo in Houston, TX. In the model, rent is about 44.66% of gross in Sunnyvale, CA versus 19.13% in Houston, TX, so Houston, TX tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Sunnyvale, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Houston, TX
$4,516/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Sunnyvale, CA
44.66%
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 Sunnyvale, 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: Sunnyvale, CA

Cost of Living Index

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

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

Median Rent

Sunnyvale, CA: $2,912/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Houston, TX: $1,248/mo

Median rent in Sunnyvale, CA is $1,664/mo higher than in Houston, TX.

Median Home Price

Sunnyvale, CA: $1,816,600 · Houston, TX: $253,400

Median home price in Sunnyvale, CA is $1,563,200 higher than in Houston, TX.

Median Household Income

Sunnyvale, CA: $181,862 · Houston, TX: $62,894

Sunnyvale, CA has a higher median household income than Houston, TX by $118,968.

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