Houston, Texas
Living in Houston, Texas is close to the national average, with a cost of living index of 98 (US = 100). Typical rent is $1,638 a month, 15% below the national figure of $1,932, and regular gas costs $3.45 a gallon versus $3.98 nationally as of November 11, 2026. Rent, gas, groceries, electricity and car insurance take about 44% of the area's $73,104 median household income.
Key Numbers
Gas (Regular)
$3.45
National: $3.98
Avg Rent (All)
$1,638
National: $1,932
Grocery Inflation
1.77%
Year-over-year
Fast Food Avg
$13.00
Combo meal
Electricity
15.91¢
per kWh · ~$143/mo
Car Insurance
$240/mo
$2,880/yr
Median Household Income
$73,104
43.5% goes to essentials
Car Insurance
Avg $2,880 in Houston. Compare rates:
📸 Help make this data more accurate
Some prices above are regional estimates. Submit a receipt from a local store to help us show what Houston residents actually pay.
Save on Gas
Find the cheapest gas near Houston:
Find Apartments
Avg rent $1,638/mo in Houston. Browse listings:
Grocery Prices
Grocery Prices — 2000 to Present
National BLS averages · submit local prices below ↓
Eggs (dozen)
Bird flu volatility
$0.97 in 2000 → $2.32 BLS avg
$1.89 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026)
Milk (gallon)
$2.79 in 2000 → $4.10 BLS avg
$2.79 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026)
Ground Beef (lb)
$1.48 in 2000 → $6.75 BLS avg
$6.60 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026)
Bread (loaf)
$0.91 in 2000 → $1.86 BLS avg
$4.79 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026)
Chicken Breast (lb)
$1.06 in 2000 → $2.03 BLS avg
$4.44 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026)
Butter (lb)
$3.98 BLS avg
$5.29 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026)
Bacon (lb)
$2.75 in 2000 → $6.69 BLS avg
$5.32 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026)
Cheddar Cheese (lb)
$3.84 in 2000 → $6.13 BLS avg
$4.00 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026)
Pasta (lb)
$0.88 in 2000 → $1.38 BLS avg
$1.67 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026)
Rice (5 lb)
$2.50 in 2000 → $5.50 BLS avg
$4.72 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026)
Coffee (12 oz)
$2.65 in 2000 → $6.94 BLS avg
$8.79 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026)
Orange Juice (64 oz)
Citrus shortage
$5.60 estimate
Potatoes (5 lb)
$1.96 in 2000 → $4.95 BLS avg
$2.99 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026)
Apples (3 lb)
$5.47 estimate
$3.49 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026)
Tomatoes (lb)
$1.44 in 2000 → $2.08 BLS avg
$0.99 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026)
Lettuce (head)
$0.75 in 2000 → $1.96 BLS avg
Cooking Oil (48 oz)
$7.26 estimate
$3.59 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026)
Yogurt (32 oz)
$4.70 estimate
$6.79 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026)
Cereal (family size)
$6.20 estimate
$5.00 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026)
Frozen Pizza
$9.13 estimate
$4.99 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026)
| Item | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2020 | 2022 | 2026 | Since 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs (dozen)Bird flu volatility$1.89 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026) | $0.97 | $1.21 | $1.79 | $2.11 | $1.46 | $1.93 | $2.32 | +137.9% |
| Milk (gallon)$2.79 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026) | $2.79 | $3.30 | $3.24 | $3.76 | $3.25 | $3.79 | $4.10 | +47.3% |
| Ground Beef (lb)$6.60 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026) | $1.48 | $2.19 | $2.28 | $4.24 | $3.89 | $4.55 | $6.75 | +355.5% |
| Bread (loaf)$4.79 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026) | $0.91 | $1.00 | $1.36 | $1.48 | $1.35 | $1.55 | $1.86 | +105.2% |
| Chicken Breast (lb)$4.44 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026) | $1.06 | $1.03 | $1.26 | $1.55 | $1.41 | $1.62 | $2.03 | +91.3% |
| Butter (lb)$5.29 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026) | — | — | — | — | $3.86 | $3.67 | $3.98 | -4.2% since 2018 |
| Bacon (lb)$5.32 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026) | $2.75 | $3.37 | $3.63 | $5.59 | $5.50 | $7.22 | $6.69 | +143.1% |
| Cheddar Cheese (lb)$4.00 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026) | $3.84 | $4.21 | $4.72 | $5.40 | $5.20 | $5.32 | $6.13 | +59.6% |
| Pasta (lb)$1.67 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026) | $0.88 | $0.94 | $1.15 | $1.26 | $1.23 | $1.12 | $1.38 | +57.1% |
| Rice (5 lb)$4.72 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026) | $2.50 | $2.98 | $3.77 | $3.46 | $3.58 | $4.16 | $5.50 | +120.6% |
| Coffee (12 oz)$8.79 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026) | $2.65 | $2.29 | $2.86 | $3.55 | $3.13 | $3.85 | $6.94 | +161.3% |
| Orange Juice (64 oz)Citrus shortageLocal estimate | — | — | — | — | — | $3.80 | $5.60 | +47.4% since 2022 |
| Potatoes (5 lb)$2.99 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026) | $1.96 | $2.29 | $2.81 | $3.34 | $4.01 | $3.96 | $4.95 | +152.6% |
| Apples (3 lb)Local estimate$3.49 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026) | — | — | — | — | — | $4.54 | $5.47 | +20.5% since 2022 |
| Tomatoes (lb)$0.99 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026) | $1.44 | $1.66 | $1.84 | $2.09 | $2.22 | $1.89 | $2.08 | +44.4% |
| Lettuce (head) | $0.75 | $0.82 | $0.90 | $1.17 | $1.34 | — | $1.96 | +162.3% |
| Cooking Oil (48 oz)Local estimate$3.59 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026) | — | — | — | — | — | $5.17 | $7.26 | +40.4% since 2022 |
| Yogurt (32 oz)Local estimate$6.79 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026) | — | — | — | — | — | $4.03 | $4.70 | +16.6% since 2022 |
| Cereal (family size)Local estimate$5.00 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026) | — | — | — | — | — | $4.85 | $6.20 | +27.8% since 2022 |
| Frozen PizzaLocal estimate$4.99 @ Kroger - Studemont (Nov 2026) | — | — | — | — | — | $6.14 | $9.13 | +48.7% since 2022 |
Dining & Restaurants
Fast Food Meal
$13.00
Casual Dining
$21.41
Monthly Spend
$324.73
+5.21% YoYChain Restaurant Meal Prices — 2022 vs. Today
Combo meal / typical order for one
McDonald's
2022: $6.78
$10.94
+61.4%Wendy's
2022: $7.66
$11.82
+54.3%Chipotle
2022: $8.21
$12.25
+49.2%Starbucks
2022: $3.84
$5.34
+39.1%Eating out more? Save on groceries with Ibotta and cook at home more often.
Looking for an Apartment in Houston?
Average 1BR: $1,343/mo · 2BR: $1,933/mo
Local Workforce
2024 · BLS QCEWTotal Jobs
2446k
Median Weekly Pay
$1,703
$89k/yr
Top Sector
Trade, Transportation & Utilities
Household vs Worker Pay
$73k
household median
Employment by Sector — Houston
% of local workforce · avg weekly wage · 5-year growth trend
~$81k/yr
~$110k/yr
~$71k/yr
~$33k/yr
~$104k/yr
Source: BLS QCEW 2024 Annual · County FIPS 48201
Highest Paying Sector
Financial Activities
$2,512/wk · $131k/yr
Most Workers (lowest wage)
Leisure & Hospitality
$633/wk · $33k/yr
Houston Cost of Living FAQ
Is Houston, TX expensive to live in?
Houston has a cost of living index of 98, where 100 is the US average, so it is close to average. It is the 6th most affordable of the 29 Texas cities we track.
What is the average rent in Houston, TX?
Typical rent in Houston is $1,638 a month for all home types as of September 2026, 15% below the national figure of $1,932. One bedroom units average about $1,343 and two bedrooms about $1,933. Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index for the metro area.
Is rent going up in Houston?
Rent in Houston rose 0.1% over the past year, slower than the 2.7% change nationally.
How much is gas in Houston?
Regular unleaded costs about $3.45 a gallon in Houston as of November 11, 2026, based on the AAA average for Texas. That is 13% below the national average of $3.98.
How much is electricity in Houston?
Homes in Texas pay an average of 15.9 cents per kWh (EIA), versus 18.4 cents nationally. At 900 kWh a month, a typical bill in Houston is about $143.
How much is car insurance in Houston?
Full coverage car insurance averages $2,880 a year in Texas, or about $240 a month (Bankrate and NAIC state average), compared with $2,150 a year nationally.
How much do you need to live in Houston?
Median household income in the Houston area is $73,104 (Census ACS 2023, county level). Rent, gas, groceries, electricity and car insurance add up to about $31,825 a year, or 44% of that income. Groceries are counted at $5,502 a year, the average household spend on food at home in the region (BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey).
How does Houston compare with the rest of Texas?
Rent in Houston is 16% above the $1,412 average across the 29 Texas cities we track, and its cost of living index of 98 compares with a state average of 97.
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