Cost of Living: Tucson, AZ vs Houston, TX

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,370/mo in Tucson, AZ versus $4,516/mo in Houston, TX. In the model, rent is about 16.82% of gross in Tucson, AZ versus 19.13% in Houston, TX, so Tucson, AZ tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Tucson, AZ
$4,370/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Houston, TX
$4,516/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Tucson, AZ
16.82%
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 Tucson, AZ and Houston, TX.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Tucson, AZ: 94.2 (U.S. = 100) · Houston, TX: 92.1 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Tucson, AZ: $1,097/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Houston, TX: $1,248/mo

Median rent in Houston, TX is $151/mo higher than in Tucson, AZ.

Median Home Price

Tucson, AZ: $286,900 · Houston, TX: $253,400

Median home price in Tucson, AZ is $33,500 higher than in Houston, TX.

Median Household Income

Tucson, AZ: $67,929 · Houston, TX: $62,894

Tucson, AZ has a higher median household income than Houston, TX by $5,035.

Tucson, AZ overview · Houston, TX overview · Popular comparisons