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Houston vs San Francisco: cost of living, pay and jobs compared
Houston is the cheaper place to live: overall prices run 17% lower than in San Francisco, and housing runs 86% lower. San Francisco pays more in dollars (a typical official wage of $74,500 against $49,500), and after local prices are counted the typical paycheck goes further in San Francisco ($64,000 against $50,000 in average-US dollars).
The short answer
- Prices: Houston runs 15% lower than San Francisco overall, and housing runs 46% lower.
- To keep the buying power of $100,000 in San Francisco, you need about $85,500 in Houston. To keep $100,000 from Houston, you need about $117,000 in San Francisco.
- Official median wage for all jobs: $49,500 in Houston, $74,500 in San Francisco.
- Median pay listed in open postings: $127,500 in Houston, $205,000 in San Francisco.
- Open postings in our data: 2,480 in Houston from 484 employers, 17,941 in San Francisco from 1,504 employers.
- Unemployment: 5% in Houston, 4.6% in San Francisco (BLS).
Houston and San Francisco side by side
| Measure | Houston | San Francisco | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (US = 100) | 98.6 | 115.6 | Houston |
| Housing price level | 104.5 | 194.7 | Houston |
| Official median wage, all jobs | $49,500 | $74,500 | San Francisco |
| Paycheck power (wage adjusted for prices) | $50,000 | $64,000 | San Francisco |
| Median pay in open postings | $127,500 | $205,000 | San Francisco |
| Postings that list pay | 17.5% | 73.7% | San Francisco |
| Open postings in our data | 2,480 | 17,941 | – |
| Employers hiring in our data | 484 | 1,504 | – |
| Unemployment rate (BLS) | 5% | 4.6% | San Francisco |
| Postings open more than 60 days | 32.6% | 47% | Houston |
| Median days a posting has been open | 30 | 56 | Houston |
| Entry-level share of postings | 13.1% | 6.2% | – |
| Remote share of postings | 4.7% | 21.5% | – |
| Indeed postings index vs Feb 2020 | +15.6% | -28.6% | 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 San Francisco at 115.6. The biggest difference is housing: 104.5 in Houston against 194.7 in San Francisco. Utilities are 45% 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 | San Francisco | Houston vs San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 98.6 | 115.6 | 15% lower |
| Housing | 104.5 | 194.7 | 46% lower |
| Goods | 100.6 | 108.5 | 7% lower |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 172.6 | 45% lower |
| Other services | 95.6 | 106.2 | 10% lower |
What a salary is worth in each place
Each row keeps your purchasing power the same. The left half moves a salary from San Francisco 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 San Francisco | Matching salary in Houston | If only housing moved | Salary in Houston | Matching salary in San Francisco | If only housing moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $42,500 | $27,000 | $50,000 | $58,500 | $93,000 |
| $75,000 | $64,000 | $40,500 | $75,000 | $88,000 | $139,500 |
| $100,000 | $85,500 | $53,500 | $100,000 | $117,000 | $186,500 |
| $125,000 | $106,500 | $67,000 | $125,000 | $146,500 | $233,000 |
| $150,000 | $128,000 | $80,500 | $150,000 | $176,000 | $279,500 |
| $200,000 | $170,500 | $107,500 | $200,000 | $234,500 | $372,500 |
As hourly pay (2,080 hours a year): $100,000 a year is about $48.10 an hour; the matching figure is about $41.01 an hour in Houston for someone earning $100,000 in San Francisco.
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 0 and higher in San Francisco for 58. After local prices are counted, Houston comes out ahead in 2 and San Francisco in 56. The widest gap among the 15 largest occupations is registered nurses: $99,800 in Houston against $186,600 in San Francisco.
| Occupation (15 largest) | Houston median | San Francisco median | Houston adjusted for prices | San Francisco adjusted for prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $23,400 | $36,000 | $23,800 | $31,100 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $27,600 | $43,900 | $28,000 | $37,900 |
| General and Operations Managers | $119,600 | $150,000 | $121,300 | $129,700 |
| Retail Salespersons | $31,300 | $43,900 | $31,800 | $37,900 |
| Registered Nurses | $99,800 | $186,600 | $101,200 | $161,400 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $36,900 | $45,100 | $37,400 | $39,000 |
| Cashiers | $29,400 | $41,300 | $29,800 | $35,700 |
| Software Developers | $129,400 | $186,600 | $131,200 | $161,400 |
| Office Clerks, General | $40,400 | $52,000 | $40,900 | $45,000 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $40,400 | $57,800 | $40,900 | $50,000 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $38,000 | $48,400 | $38,500 | $41,900 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $22,100 | $38,900 | $22,400 | $33,600 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $30,700 | $44,200 | $31,100 | $38,200 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $56,800 | $66,500 | $57,600 | $57,500 |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $63,100 | $97,000 | $64,000 | $83,900 |
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 0 of 4 and higher in San Francisco for 4. 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 | San Francisco median listed pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | $124,500 | 63 | $180,000 | 869 |
| Operations and logistics | $120,500 | 15 | $187,500 | 526 |
| Legal and compliance | $210,000 | 30 | $226,500 | 330 |
| Nursing and clinical care | $141,500 | 16 | $250,000 | 85 |
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
Houston's postings lean toward healthcare & life sciences (16.4%), while San Francisco's lean toward software & technology (56%). 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 San Francisco: OpenAI (1,124), Anthropic (473), Crusoe (292), Flyzipline (264), DoorDash USA (234).
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 56 in San Francisco; 32.6% and 47% have been open more than 60 days.
- Entry-level roles are 13.1% of postings in Houston and 6.2% in San Francisco; senior and above are 30.4% and 54.3%.
- Fully remote roles are 4.7% of postings in Houston and 21.5% in San Francisco.
- Indeed's postings index sits 15.6% above its February 2020 level in Houston and 28.6% below in San Francisco.
- 17.5% of postings in Houston list pay, against 73.7% in San Francisco.
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 San Francisco has the buying power of about $85,500 in Houston.
- If you will be paid the local going rate, San Francisco comes out ahead after prices on the typical wage ($64,000 against $50,000).
- If housing is your biggest cost, the gap there (104.5 vs 194.7) 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 San Francisco?
Houston is cheaper. Overall prices run 17% lower than in San Francisco, and housing runs 86% 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 San Francisco?
About $85,500 a year, using the ratio of overall price levels (98.6 in Houston, 115.6 in San Francisco). Prices only; taxes are not included.
Which city pays more, Houston or San Francisco?
San Francisco has the higher typical wage across all jobs: $74,500 against $49,500 (BLS, May 2025). After local prices, San Francisco has the higher paycheck power: $64,000 against $50,000 in average-US dollars.
Which has more job openings?
In the postings we read from employers' own career pages, San Francisco has more: 17,941 against 2,480. 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
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: all the data
- Compare them in the interactive tool
- Cost-of-living ranking · Paycheck power ranking
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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