Cost of Living in Texas

The cost of living in Texas is 8% lower than the national average
Cost of Living in Texas Compared to National Average
Housing (Buy and Rent) 16% lower
Utilities (Monthly) 3% higher
Food 9% lower
Healthcare 6% lower
Transportation 3% lower
Goods & Services 4% lower
Summary

The cost of living in Texas is 8% lower than the national average. Housing is 16% lower than the national average, while utilities are 3% higher. When it comes to basic necessities such as food and clothing, groceries are around 4% lower than in the rest of the country, while clothing costs 4% lower.

Healthcare services such as doctor check-ups and dentistry cost 6% lower in Texas compared to the national average. At the same time, non-necessary expenses such as entertainment and grooming services are 4% lower.

The Cost of Living in Texas Largest Cities Compared to the National Average

This is how much pricier or cheaper it is to live in Texas’s 12 largest cities compared to the national average.
The cost of living in Texas varies depending on the city you live in. The priciest city in Texas is Plano, where the cost of living is 32% higher compared to the state average and 22% higher than in the rest of the U.S. The cheapest major city in Texas is Harlingen, with a cost of living 17% lower below the state average and 23% lower than the national average.
City, State Compared to State Average Compared to National Average
Plano, TX 32% higher 22% higher
Hutto, TX 13% higher 4% higher
Dallas, TX 11% higher 3% higher
Austin, TX 10% higher 1% higher
San Marcos, TX 5% higher 3% lower
Tyler, TX 4% higher 4% lower
Conroe, TX 4% higher 4% lower
Beaumont, TX 3% higher 5% lower
Fort Worth, TX 3% higher 5% lower
Allen, TX 2% higher 6% lower
Denton, TX 2% higher 6% lower
Longview, TX 1% higher 6% lower
Belton, TX 1% higher 6% lower
Temple, TX 1% higher 7% lower
Houston, TX 1% higher 7% lower
Cedar Park, TX 0% 8% lower
San Antonio, TX 0% 8% lower
Odessa, TX 0% 8% lower
Round Rock, TX 0% 8% lower
Midland, TX 1% lower 9% lower
Abilene, TX 2% lower 9% lower
Lubbock, TX 2% lower 9% lower
Alvin, TX 2% lower 9% lower
Corpus Christi, TX 2% lower 10% lower
Waco, TX 3% lower 10% lower
El Paso, TX 3% lower 11% lower
Nacogdoches, TX 5% lower 12% lower
Weatherford, TX 5% lower 12% lower
Amarillo, TX 8% lower 15% lower
Brownsville, TX 8% lower 15% lower
Seguin, TX 10% lower 17% lower
McAllen, TX 13% lower 20% lower
Harlingen, TX 17% lower 23% lower
What is a cost of living calculator?

The cost of living calculator tells you how much money you need to maintain your current standard of living in a different city. The cost of living comparison is based on your income and the price of basic necessities such as housing, transportation or food in the two cities you selected. Use the calculator to find out what income you will need in a new city and how much more or less you’ll need to budget for basic expenses.

Where does the data come from?

Consumer goods, services and home prices are sourced from The Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER).
The data on this page is updated bi-annually and it was last published in September 2024.

Average rent data is our in-house proprietary data from Yardi Matrix, where available. For the remaining locations, C2ER rent data was used. Yardi Matrix is a business development and asset management tool for brokers, sponsors, banks and equity sources underwriting investments in the multifamily, office, industrial and self-storage sectors, a division of Yardi Systems, Inc.

Household income data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent estimates.