Houston, TX vs Philadelphia, PA: cost of living compared
Price levels from BEA (2024); rent and home values from Zillow (September 2026).
The short answer
- Overall, Philadelphia, PA is 4.0% more expensive than Houston, TX (BEA, 2024).
- To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Houston works out to about $78,000 in Philadelphia, before taxes.
- Most of the difference is everyday costs rather than housing: goods are 3.8% lower and other services 7.8% higher in Philadelphia, while housing is 8.3% higher.
- Utility prices (electricity, gas, water) are 20.0% higher in Philadelphia.
- Typical asking rent is $1,903 a month in Philadelphia and $1,638 in Houston, $3,180 a year more in Philadelphia (Zillow, September 2026).
- A typical home is valued at about $386,000 in Philadelphia and $303,000 in Houston.
- The gap has widened since 2019, when Philadelphia was 2.2% more expensive than Houston.
derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) and Zillow data. Based on an average household's spending; taxes not included. How we calculate.
Category by category
Both cities against the US average (100). The gap in each row is what matters for a move.
Everyday costs, not housing, drive the gap between Houston and Philadelphia
Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.
- Houston, TX
- Philadelphia, PA
All items Houston, TX: 98.6 Philadelphia, PA: 102.6
Goods Houston, TX: 100.6 Philadelphia, PA: 96.8
Housing (rents) Houston, TX: 104.5 Philadelphia, PA: 113.1
Utilities Houston, TX: 95.3 Philadelphia, PA: 114.4
Other services Houston, TX: 95.6 Philadelphia, PA: 103.1
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Houston, TX | Philadelphia, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 98.6 | 102.6 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 96.8 |
| Housing (rents) | 104.5 | 113.1 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 114.4 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 103.1 |
| Category | Houston | Philadelphia | Philadelphia vs Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 98.6 | 102.6 | +4.0% |
| Goods | 100.6 | 96.8 | −3.8% |
| Housing (rents) | 104.5 | 113.1 | +8.3% |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 114.4 | +20.0% |
| Other services | 95.6 | 103.1 | +7.8% |
| Typical asking rent | $1,638 | $1,903 | +16.2% |
| Typical home value | $303,000 | $386,000 | +27.5% |
| Salary to match $75,000 in Houston | $75,000 | $78,000 | +4.0% |
Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Rent and home values: Data Provided by Zillow Group, September 2026.
How the gap has changed since 2008
The price gap between Houston and Philadelphia has narrowed since 2008: 7.0 points then, 3.9 now
Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.
- Houston, TX
- Philadelphia, PA
US average = 100
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Houston, TX | Philadelphia, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 99.4 | 106.4 |
| 2009 | 100.6 | 107.6 |
| 2010 | 101.0 | 106.3 |
| 2011 | 98.7 | 105.3 |
| 2012 | 100.1 | 103.9 |
| 2013 | 101.1 | 101.8 |
| 2014 | 102.2 | 102.4 |
| 2015 | 103.1 | 102.2 |
| 2016 | 102.4 | 102.5 |
| 2017 | 100.0 | 104.0 |
| 2018 | 101.9 | 103.2 |
| 2019 | 101.4 | 103.7 |
| 2020 | 100.0 | 102.3 |
| 2021 | 99.7 | 99.0 |
| 2022 | 98.8 | 100.7 |
| 2023 | 99.7 | 102.4 |
| 2024 | 98.6 | 102.6 |
Goods
- Houston, TX
- Philadelphia, PA
US = 100
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Houston, TX | Philadelphia, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 95.9 | 108.5 |
| 2009 | 98.0 | 107.4 |
| 2010 | 99.6 | 104.1 |
| 2011 | 97.6 | 106.3 |
| 2012 | 99.0 | 103.0 |
| 2013 | 97.7 | 98.6 |
| 2014 | 98.9 | 97.7 |
| 2015 | 98.9 | 100.6 |
| 2016 | 97.7 | 102.6 |
| 2017 | 96.3 | 99.2 |
| 2018 | 99.0 | 98.4 |
| 2019 | 98.3 | 96.6 |
| 2020 | 96.7 | 94.6 |
| 2021 | 97.7 | 94.3 |
| 2022 | 98.1 | 95.2 |
| 2023 | 101.7 | 98.2 |
| 2024 | 100.6 | 96.8 |
Housing (rents)
- Houston, TX
- Philadelphia, PA
US = 100
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Houston, TX | Philadelphia, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 99.9 | 116.1 |
| 2009 | 101.9 | 120.6 |
| 2010 | 103.5 | 119.1 |
| 2011 | 99.4 | 120.0 |
| 2012 | 103.4 | 119.5 |
| 2013 | 104.1 | 118.0 |
| 2014 | 107.6 | 119.3 |
| 2015 | 108.6 | 117.8 |
| 2016 | 110.0 | 117.4 |
| 2017 | 108.5 | 117.5 |
| 2018 | 108.0 | 117.5 |
| 2019 | 107.4 | 113.3 |
| 2020 | 107.5 | 115.2 |
| 2021 | 105.6 | 114.7 |
| 2022 | 107.8 | 115.8 |
| 2023 | 106.3 | 117.8 |
| 2024 | 104.5 | 113.1 |
Utilities
- Houston, TX
- Philadelphia, PA
US = 100
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Houston, TX | Philadelphia, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 101.4 | 108.6 |
| 2009 | 95.3 | 113.9 |
| 2010 | 97.6 | 117.3 |
| 2011 | 97.4 | 121.3 |
| 2012 | 95.1 | 120.2 |
| 2013 | 95.8 | 120.0 |
| 2014 | 94.5 | 105.8 |
| 2015 | 83.8 | 102.4 |
| 2016 | 92.5 | 102.6 |
| 2017 | 85.7 | 104.8 |
| 2018 | 83.1 | 106.4 |
| 2019 | 91.2 | 108.6 |
| 2020 | 86.4 | 106.1 |
| 2021 | 89.1 | 101.1 |
| 2022 | 92.3 | 108.1 |
| 2023 | 94.9 | 119.4 |
| 2024 | 95.3 | 114.4 |
Other services
- Houston, TX
- Philadelphia, PA
US = 100
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Houston, TX | Philadelphia, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 102.1 | 102.5 |
| 2009 | 102.4 | 104.0 |
| 2010 | 101.4 | 103.9 |
| 2011 | 99.3 | 100.4 |
| 2012 | 100.2 | 99.9 |
| 2013 | 103.3 | 99.2 |
| 2014 | 103.7 | 101.2 |
| 2015 | 106.0 | 99.4 |
| 2016 | 104.3 | 99.0 |
| 2017 | 101.2 | 103.7 |
| 2018 | 103.4 | 102.5 |
| 2019 | 102.5 | 105.5 |
| 2020 | 100.9 | 104.0 |
| 2021 | 100.2 | 98.3 |
| 2022 | 97.0 | 100.5 |
| 2023 | 96.6 | 100.6 |
| 2024 | 95.6 | 103.1 |
Rent and home values
Typical asking rent: $1,903 in Philadelphia vs $1,638 in Houston
Typical asking rent for a new lease, dollars per month. Quarterly.
- Houston, TX
- Philadelphia, PA
- United States
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (typical asking rent, all homes, smoothed), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Houston, TX | Philadelphia, PA | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $1,210 | $1,200 | $1,145 |
| Jun 2015 | $1,239 | $1,215 | $1,170 |
| Sep 2015 | $1,239 | $1,217 | $1,181 |
| Dec 2015 | $1,229 | $1,209 | $1,182 |
| Mar 2016 | $1,237 | $1,228 | $1,195 |
| Jun 2016 | $1,247 | $1,251 | $1,219 |
| Sep 2016 | $1,237 | $1,248 | $1,225 |
| Dec 2016 | $1,226 | $1,249 | $1,222 |
| Mar 2017 | $1,242 | $1,271 | $1,245 |
| Jun 2017 | $1,257 | $1,286 | $1,270 |
| Sep 2017 | $1,259 | $1,286 | $1,276 |
| Dec 2017 | $1,282 | $1,287 | $1,275 |
| Mar 2018 | $1,294 | $1,309 | $1,296 |
| Jun 2018 | $1,308 | $1,331 | $1,320 |
| Sep 2018 | $1,303 | $1,328 | $1,327 |
| Dec 2018 | $1,305 | $1,334 | $1,329 |
| Mar 2019 | $1,311 | $1,359 | $1,349 |
| Jun 2019 | $1,330 | $1,385 | $1,376 |
| Sep 2019 | $1,330 | $1,384 | $1,383 |
| Dec 2019 | $1,331 | $1,384 | $1,381 |
| Mar 2020 | $1,345 | $1,412 | $1,402 |
| Jun 2020 | $1,334 | $1,420 | $1,406 |
| Sep 2020 | $1,343 | $1,424 | $1,410 |
| Dec 2020 | $1,346 | $1,425 | $1,407 |
| Mar 2021 | $1,365 | $1,451 | $1,443 |
| Jun 2021 | $1,424 | $1,508 | $1,512 |
| Sep 2021 | $1,483 | $1,549 | $1,590 |
| Dec 2021 | $1,497 | $1,580 | $1,622 |
| Mar 2022 | $1,523 | $1,615 | $1,661 |
| Jun 2022 | $1,564 | $1,658 | $1,721 |
| Sep 2022 | $1,577 | $1,672 | $1,748 |
| Dec 2022 | $1,561 | $1,661 | $1,735 |
| Mar 2023 | $1,583 | $1,683 | $1,757 |
| Jun 2023 | $1,605 | $1,711 | $1,785 |
| Sep 2023 | $1,608 | $1,726 | $1,797 |
| Dec 2023 | $1,594 | $1,722 | $1,786 |
| Mar 2024 | $1,604 | $1,743 | $1,807 |
| Jun 2024 | $1,627 | $1,773 | $1,837 |
| Sep 2024 | $1,635 | $1,782 | $1,845 |
| Dec 2024 | $1,623 | $1,789 | $1,836 |
| Mar 2025 | $1,635 | $1,805 | $1,860 |
| Jun 2025 | $1,639 | $1,824 | $1,880 |
| Sep 2025 | $1,636 | $1,842 | $1,881 |
| Dec 2025 | $1,623 | $1,844 | $1,873 |
| Mar 2026 | $1,620 | $1,864 | $1,894 |
| Jun 2026 | $1,636 | $1,889 | $1,921 |
| Sep 2026 | $1,638 | $1,903 | $1,932 |
Typical home value: $386,000 in Philadelphia vs $303,000 in Houston
Typical home value, dollars. Quarterly.
- Houston, TX
- Philadelphia, PA
- United States
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (typical home value, middle tier, smoothed, seasonally adjusted), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Houston, TX | Philadelphia, PA | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $184K | $208K | $189K |
| Jun 2015 | $188K | $209K | $192K |
| Sep 2015 | $192K | $212K | $195K |
| Dec 2015 | $195K | $214K | $199K |
| Mar 2016 | $198K | $215K | $202K |
| Jun 2016 | $200K | $217K | $204K |
| Sep 2016 | $201K | $219K | $206K |
| Dec 2016 | $204K | $222K | $209K |
| Mar 2017 | $205K | $224K | $213K |
| Jun 2017 | $207K | $227K | $216K |
| Sep 2017 | $209K | $228K | $219K |
| Dec 2017 | $211K | $232K | $223K |
| Mar 2018 | $213K | $235K | $227K |
| Jun 2018 | $215K | $237K | $230K |
| Sep 2018 | $218K | $238K | $234K |
| Dec 2018 | $220K | $240K | $236K |
| Mar 2019 | $223K | $243K | $239K |
| Jun 2019 | $224K | $246K | $242K |
| Sep 2019 | $225K | $247K | $244K |
| Dec 2019 | $228K | $250K | $247K |
| Mar 2020 | $230K | $256K | $252K |
| Jun 2020 | $231K | $260K | $255K |
| Sep 2020 | $234K | $263K | $260K |
| Dec 2020 | $242K | $275K | $271K |
| Mar 2021 | $251K | $287K | $282K |
| Jun 2021 | $262K | $298K | $296K |
| Sep 2021 | $272K | $302K | $306K |
| Dec 2021 | $281K | $303K | $314K |
| Mar 2022 | $297K | $316K | $330K |
| Jun 2022 | $313K | $330K | $346K |
| Sep 2022 | $318K | $331K | $348K |
| Dec 2022 | $315K | $331K | $345K |
| Mar 2023 | $311K | $332K | $343K |
| Jun 2023 | $311K | $340K | $347K |
| Sep 2023 | $313K | $347K | $352K |
| Dec 2023 | $313K | $352K | $354K |
| Mar 2024 | $314K | $357K | $357K |
| Jun 2024 | $316K | $363K | $361K |
| Sep 2024 | $315K | $365K | $361K |
| Dec 2024 | $314K | $368K | $363K |
| Mar 2025 | $313K | $371K | $364K |
| Jun 2025 | $310K | $374K | $362K |
| Sep 2025 | $308K | $377K | $362K |
| Dec 2025 | $308K | $379K | $364K |
| Mar 2026 | $307K | $381K | $366K |
| Jun 2026 | $304K | $383K | $365K |
| Sep 2026 | $303K | $386K | $366K |
More about each city
- Cost of living in Houston, TX
- Cost of living in Philadelphia, PA
- Reverse: moving from Philadelphia to Houston
Related comparisons
What this comparison leaves out
- Taxes. State and local income, sales and property taxes can change the result a lot, especially between states.
- Neighborhoods. These are metro-wide averages; a city center and its outer suburbs can differ by more than two metros do.
- Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider above if rent is a bigger share of your budget.
- Timing. BEA price levels are for 2024; Zillow figures are monthly and newer.