CostIndexUSA

Houston, TX vs Provo, UT Cost of Living

Data: BEA Regional Price Parities · Census ACS · 2024

≈ Equal CostTX
Houston
98.6
overall index
$1,600/mo rent
UT
Provo
98.2
overall index
$1,750/mo rent

Houston and Provo have nearly identical costs of living.

Category Breakdown

Index values: 100 = U.S. national average. Higher = more expensive.

🏠 Housing≈ Equal
Houston
104.5
Provo
104.1
🛒 Groceries4.2%
Houston
100.6
Provo
96.4
🚗 Transportation+3.5%
Houston
100.4
Provo
103.9
🏥 Healthcare+3.5%
Houston
90.8
Provo
94
Utilities17.5%
Houston
95.3
Provo
78.6

Salary Equivalency Calculator

Enter your current salary in Houston to see what you'd need to earn in Provo to maintain the same purchasing power.

$
Equivalent salary in Provo, UT
$79,700
$300 less needed in Provo

Formula: salary × (98.2 ÷ 98.6) = salary × 0.9959. Based on BEA Regional Price Parities.

Housing Market

Houston, TX

Median Home Price
$302,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,600
Housing Index
104.5
Price-to-Rent Ratio
15.7×

Provo, UT

Median Home Price
$534,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,750
Housing Index
104.1
Price-to-Rent Ratio
25.4×

Income & Job Market

Houston, TX

Median Household Income
$79,500
Per Capita Income
$45,300
Unemployment Rate
5.2%
Population
2,304,580
Top Industries
EnergyHealthcareAerospaceManufacturingLogistics

Provo, UT

Median Household Income
$100,800
Per Capita Income
$57,500
Unemployment Rate
3.6%
Population
116,288
Top Industries
TechnologyEducationHealthcareManufacturingFinance

Affordability at a Glance

Income-to-rent ratio: higher is better (more income relative to housing costs).

Houston, TX
4.1×income-to-rent ratio

76% of income left after rent (median)

Provo, UT
4.8×income-to-rent ratio

79% of income left after rent (median)

Data Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities 2024; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Zillow Research.

Cost indices use 100 as the U.S. national average. Values above 100 indicate costs above the national average. Data is updated annually.

This data is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for relocation or financial decisions.