San Diego vs Houston Cost of Living
San Diego (United States) · Overall index 80.0 — Houston (United States) · Overall index 64.2
Summary
- Overall, Houston is 20% cheaper than San Diego.
- Rent in Houston is 42% cheaper than in San Diego.
- Transport in Houston is 20% cheaper than in San Diego.
| Item | San Diego | Houston | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -42% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,906 | $1,545 | -47% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,560 | $987 | -37% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $5,348 | $3,154 | -41% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $3,541 | $2,052 | -42% |
| Groceries | -12% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.29 | $1.05 | -19% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.77 | $3.3 | -12% |
| Rice (1kg) | $4.26 | $3.93 | -8% |
| Eggs (12) | $4.41 | $3.8 | -14% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $14.8 | $12.1 | -18% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $12.7 | $9.92 | -22% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $19.1 | $14.4 | -25% |
| Apples (1kg) | $5.14 | $4.86 | -5% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.82 | $1.96 | +8% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $3.98 | $4.3 | +8% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.15 | $4.92 | -4% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $3.07 | $2.66 | -13% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.92 | $2.22 | -24% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.36 | $2.46 | +4% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.61 | $1.93 | -26% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $15.1 | $13.3 | -12% |
| Transport | -20% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $2.68 | $2.06 | -23% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $122 | $92.2 | -24% |
| Taxi, base fare | $3.68 | $2.93 | -20% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.86 | $1.58 | -15% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.87 | $0.68 | -22% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $26,442 | $22,095 | -16% |
| Dining out | -13% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $22.6 | $20 | -12% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $107 | $85 | -21% |
| Fast food combo meal | $11.9 | $9.59 | -19% |
| Cappuccino | $5.18 | $4.65 | -10% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.16 | $2 | -7% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $5.99 | $5.86 | -2% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $7.37 | $6.42 | -13% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.87 | $1.58 | -16% |
| Telecom | -9% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $63.4 | $57.6 | -9% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $55.3 | $51.1 | -8% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.31 | $0.27 | -13% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $13.3 | $12.3 | -8% |
| Utilities & household | -9% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $153 | $133 | -13% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.2 | $0.2 | 0% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.02 | $3.71 | -8% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.46 | $1.11 | -24% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $20.8 | $19.9 | -4% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $79.6 | $73.6 | -8% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $15.3 | $13.6 | -11% |
| Men's haircut | $27.1 | $29.3 | +8% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $26.6 | $22.4 | -16% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $2,070 | $1,832 | -11% |
3,043 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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