Last updated:
Houston vs Miami: cost of living, pay and jobs compared
Houston is the cheaper place to live: overall prices run 16% lower than in Miami, and housing runs 49% lower. Houston pays more in dollars (a typical official wage of $49,500 against $48,500), and after local prices are counted the typical paycheck goes further in Houston ($50,000 against $42,500 in average-US dollars).
The short answer
- Prices: Houston runs 14% lower than Miami overall, and housing runs 33% lower.
- To keep the buying power of $100,000 in Miami, you need about $86,500 in Houston. To keep $100,000 from Houston, you need about $115,500 in Miami.
- Official median wage for all jobs: $49,500 in Houston, $48,500 in Miami.
- Median pay listed in open postings: $127,500 in Houston, $115,000 in Miami.
- Open postings in our data: 2,480 in Houston from 484 employers, 2,312 in Miami from 459 employers.
- Unemployment: 5% in Houston, 3.7% in Miami (BLS).
Houston and Miami side by side
| Measure | Houston | Miami | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (US = 100) | 98.6 | 114.2 | Houston |
| Housing price level | 104.5 | 155.6 | Houston |
| Official median wage, all jobs | $49,500 | $48,500 | About the same |
| Paycheck power (wage adjusted for prices) | $50,000 | $42,500 | Houston |
| Median pay in open postings | $127,500 | $115,000 | Houston |
| Postings that list pay | 17.5% | 21.2% | Miami |
| Open postings in our data | 2,480 | 2,312 | – |
| Employers hiring in our data | 484 | 459 | – |
| Unemployment rate (BLS) | 5% | 3.7% | Miami |
| Postings open more than 60 days | 32.6% | 32.1% | About the same |
| Median days a posting has been open | 30 | 30 | About the same |
| Entry-level share of postings | 13.1% | 16.5% | – |
| Remote share of postings | 4.7% | 5.7% | – |
| Indeed postings index vs Feb 2020 | +15.6% | +8.3% | Houston |
"Edge" shows which area looks better on that measure (lower prices, higher pay, lower unemployment, fewer stale postings); counts and shares have no edge. Within 2% counts as about the same.
Cost of living
Houston prices sit 98.6 against a US average of 100 and Miami at 114.2. The biggest difference is housing: 104.5 in Houston against 155.6 in Miami. Utilities are 2% lower in Houston. The index covers goods and services including rent and home costs, so it measures what a typical household spends, not what your own budget looks like.
| Price level (US = 100) | Houston | Miami | Houston vs Miami |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 98.6 | 114.2 | 14% lower |
| Housing | 104.5 | 155.6 | 33% lower |
| Goods | 100.6 | 103.6 | 3% lower |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 97.2 | 2% lower |
| Other services | 95.6 | 109.1 | 12% lower |
What a salary is worth in each place
Each row keeps your purchasing power the same. The left half moves a salary from Miami to Houston; the right half moves it the other way. "If only housing moved" uses the housing price level alone, for someone whose biggest cost is rent or a mortgage.
| Salary in Miami | Matching salary in Houston | If only housing moved | Salary in Houston | Matching salary in Miami | If only housing moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $43,000 | $33,500 | $50,000 | $58,000 | $74,500 |
| $75,000 | $65,000 | $50,500 | $75,000 | $87,000 | $111,500 |
| $100,000 | $86,500 | $67,000 | $100,000 | $115,500 | $149,000 |
| $125,000 | $108,000 | $84,000 | $125,000 | $144,500 | $186,000 |
| $150,000 | $129,500 | $101,000 | $150,000 | $173,500 | $223,500 |
| $200,000 | $173,000 | $134,500 | $200,000 | $231,500 | $297,500 |
As hourly pay (2,080 hours a year): $100,000 a year is about $48.10 an hour; the matching figure is about $41.54 an hour in Houston for someone earning $100,000 in Miami.
Pay for the same job
Across the 58 occupations that the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures in both areas, the median wage is higher in Houston for 30 and higher in Miami for 28. After local prices are counted, Houston comes out ahead in 51 and Miami in 7. The widest gap among the 15 largest occupations is waiters and waitresses: $22,100 in Houston against $36,100 in Miami.
| Occupation (15 largest) | Houston median | Miami median | Houston adjusted for prices | Miami adjusted for prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | $119,600 | $105,600 | $121,300 | $92,500 |
| Retail Salespersons | $31,300 | $34,300 | $31,800 | $30,100 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $27,600 | $29,600 | $28,000 | $25,900 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $40,400 | $39,600 | $40,900 | $34,700 |
| Registered Nurses | $99,800 | $91,400 | $101,200 | $80,000 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $36,900 | $36,100 | $37,400 | $31,600 |
| Cashiers | $29,400 | $30,300 | $29,800 | $26,500 |
| Office Clerks, General | $40,400 | $44,700 | $40,900 | $39,200 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $22,100 | $36,100 | $22,400 | $31,600 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $38,000 | $38,600 | $38,500 | $33,800 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $23,400 | $32,900 | $23,800 | $28,800 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $30,700 | $34,200 | $31,100 | $29,900 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $56,800 | $51,600 | $57,600 | $45,200 |
| Security Guards | $35,500 | $36,000 | $36,000 | $31,600 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | $35,100 | $36,900 | $35,500 | $32,300 |
Median annual wage for everyone in the occupation, all employers, May 2025 (BLS). "Adjusted" divides the wage by the area's price level (BEA, US = 100), so dollars are comparable.
Pay employers are offering right now
The wages above are what people earn in jobs they already hold. Open postings show what employers are offering today. In the job families where both areas have at least 15 postings that list pay, the median listed salary is higher in Houston for 3 of 3 and higher in Miami for 0. Posted pay tends to run above the all-worker median because it leans toward hiring for experienced roles at larger employers.
| Job family | Houston median listed pay | Postings | Miami median listed pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | $124,500 | 63 | $105,000 | 67 |
| Nursing and clinical care | $141,500 | 16 | $124,000 | 20 |
| Operations and logistics | $120,500 | 15 | $92,500 | 18 |
Only postings that list a salary are counted. Median of the middle of each listed range. Job families need at least 15 such postings in both areas to appear.
Who is hiring
Healthcare & Life Sciences is the largest hiring industry in both areas. The mix matters because pay and hiring conditions differ a lot by industry.
- Largest posters in Houston: Greystar (68), Tamus (61), Boxlunch (60), Careers Obmc (51), Floor & Decor (40).
- Largest posters in Miami: CenterWell (98), Floor & Decor (68), Lennar (62), RaceTrac (62), Veterinaryemergencygroupst (54).
Counts are open postings on each employer's own career page in our data; one big employer can shape a local market.
The job market
- Postings have been open a median of 30 days in Houston and 30 in Miami; 32.6% and 32.1% have been open more than 60 days.
- Entry-level roles are 13.1% of postings in Houston and 16.5% in Miami; senior and above are 30.4% and 35.7%.
- Fully remote roles are 4.7% of postings in Houston and 5.7% in Miami.
- Indeed's postings index sits 15.6% above its February 2020 level in Houston and 8.3% above in Miami.
- 17.5% of postings in Houston list pay, against 21.2% in Miami.
Which is better for you?
- If you can keep your current salary and move, the place with the lower price level (Houston) stretches it further: $100,000 in Miami has the buying power of about $86,500 in Houston.
- If you will be paid the local going rate, Houston comes out ahead after prices on the typical wage ($50,000 against $42,500).
- If housing is your biggest cost, the gap there (104.5 vs 155.6) matters more than the overall index.
No place is better for everyone. Taxes, commute, schools, climate and your own spending are not in these numbers.
Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Houston or Miami?
Houston is cheaper. Overall prices run 16% lower than in Miami, and housing runs 49% lower (BEA regional price parities, 2024, where the US average is 100).
How much do I need to earn in Houston to match $100,000 in Miami?
About $86,500 a year, using the ratio of overall price levels (98.6 in Houston, 114.2 in Miami). Prices only; taxes are not included.
Which city pays more, Houston or Miami?
Houston has the higher typical wage across all jobs: $49,500 against $48,500 (BLS, May 2025). After local prices, Houston has the higher paycheck power: $50,000 against $42,500 in average-US dollars.
Which has more job openings?
In the postings we read from employers' own career pages, Houston has more: 2,480 against 2,312. This is a sample of employer postings, not a census of every job.
Where do these numbers come from?
Prices come from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, wages and unemployment from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and postings from employers' own career pages, collected October 2026. Every figure on this page is in a table or chart above.
More on these places
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: all the data
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: all the data
- Compare them in the interactive tool
- Cost-of-living ranking · Paycheck power ranking
Other comparisons
New York vs HoustonNew York vs MiamiLos Angeles vs HoustonLos Angeles vs MiamiChicago vs HoustonChicago vs MiamiDallas vs HoustonDallas vs MiamiHouston vs WashingtonHouston vs Philadelphia
Updated October 2026. Prices only: taxes and personal spending are not included. Price levels: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities, 2024. Wages and unemployment: Bureau of Labor Statistics (wages May 2025). Postings: employers' own career pages, October 2026. Methodology