City comparison
Houston, TX vs Miami, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Miami, FL are 15.7% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $115,700 in Miami, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,995 a month in Miami, FL versus $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Miami, FL and 20% in Houston, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.7% moving from Houston, TX to Miami, FL ($122,749 → $113,356), while prices change by +15.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −20.2% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Miami, FL: price level 114.2 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Miami, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 114.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,742 in Miami | $86,399 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $48,640 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Miami |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 155.6 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 103.6 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 97.2 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 109.1 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 114.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Miami, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.6%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
30 Weak offer
Miami, FL → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Miami, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Miami, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Miami, FL | Real change, Houston → Miami |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $65,735 | −20.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $79,533 | −20.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $95,326 | −20.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $113,356 | −20.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $133,953 | −20.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Miami, FL | Miami pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $58,300 | $50,371 (−21.9%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $132,650 | $114,609 (−11.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $80,920 | $69,914 (−17.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $91,380 | $78,952 (−20.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.