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Cost of living · head to head

Miami, FL is approximately 16% pricier than Houston, TX, using Houston, TX as the comparison base.

Based on overall price levels from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis. 100 equals the national average. Figures represent the wider Houston, TX and Miami, FL metropolitan areas, not city limits.

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Houston, TXoverall index
98.6
Miami, FLoverall index
114.2
Estimated salary equivalent based on regional price levels
in Houston, TX
A salary of $100,000 in Houston, TX has approximately the same purchasing power as $115,822 in Miami, FL, based on regional price levels.
In plain terms: Miami, FL is more expensive than Houston, TX, so you’d need about $115,822 there to match the lifestyle $100,000 buys in Houston, TX same groceries, same rent level, same everyday spending. That’s ~$15,800 more to cover the higher cost of living, not a real raise.
Before tax. This estimate does not account for individual spending habits, household size, taxes, childcare, healthcare, transport choices or personal housing circumstances.

The headline gap is 16%, but housing is where it really shows. Housing rents in Miami, FL run 49% higher than in Houston, TX (155.6 vs 104.5), while everyday goods and services sit closer together. For most people, housing rents move the most when relocating between these two metros, so weigh that gap more heavily than the overall figure.

CategoryHouston, TXMiami, FLDifference
Overall98.6114.2+16%
Goods100.6103.6+3%
Housing rents104.5155.6+49%
Utilities95.397.2+2%
Other services95.6109.1+14%

Miami, FL differs from Houston, TX the most in housing rents — about 49% higher in Miami, FL — while the closest is utilities.

$50,000 in Houston, TX$57,911
$75,000 in Houston, TX$86,866
$100,000 in Houston, TX$115,822
$150,000 in Houston, TX$173,732
$200,000 in Houston, TX$231,643

Each row shows the estimated salary equivalent in Miami, FL, based on regional price levels, for the amount earned in Houston, TX.

Before tax. This estimate does not account for individual spending habits, household size, taxes, childcare, healthcare, transport choices or personal housing circumstances.

Is Miami, FL cheaper than Houston, TX?

No — Miami, FL has an overall cost-of-living index of 114.2 versus 98.6 for Houston, TX, making it about 16% more expensive.

What is the estimated salary equivalent for $100,000 in Houston, TX if you moved to Miami, FL?

About $115,822, based on regional price levels — a $100,000 salary in Houston, TX has approximately the same purchasing power as $115,822 in Miami, FL. This is an estimate and does not account for taxes, household size, or personal spending habits.

Is housing cheaper in Miami, FL than in Houston, TX?

Housing rents in Miami, FL score 155.6 versus 104.5 in Houston, TX — about 49% more expensive. Housing rents are often the main driver of differences in overall price levels between metro areas.

What is the cost of living difference between Houston, TX and Miami, FL?

Overall, Miami, FL is about 16% pricier than Houston, TX (index 114.2 vs 98.6), with housing 49% higher. Data is from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024.