Moving from Austin, TX to Houston, TX
Both of these are in Texas, so a state-by-state comparison says the move costs nothing. It is not true. Housing, property tax and everyday prices differ sharply between Austin and Houston, and this is what that actually adds up to each month.
Moving to Houston costs about
-$110/mo
less than Austin each month, renting
Worth knowing
The move pays for itself in about 15 months
Moving costs somewhere around $1,613, and Houston runs about $110 a month cheaper. After roughly 15 months you are ahead.
Austin vs Houston at a glance
| Austin | Houston | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $465,000 | $298,000 |
| Median rent | $1,726/mo | $1,430/mo |
| State income tax | No state income tax | No state income tax |
| Property tax rate | 1.54% | 1.61% |
| Groceries, gas & goods | 94 | 101 |
| Utilities | 82 | 95 |
Price levels are indexes where 100 is the national average. They cover everyday spending only; housing is the two rows above.
What changes each month
| Monthly | Austin | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Housing (median rent)Biggest factor | $1,726 | $1,430 | -$296 |
| Taxes | |||
| State income tax | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Sales tax (on everyday spending) | $89 | $92 | +$4 |
| Everyday costs | |||
| Groceries, gas & goods | $1,719 | $1,845 | +$126 |
| Utilities | $335 | $389 | +$54 |
| Total | -$110 | ||
What the move itself costs
$1,300 to $3,200
From a container you load yourself up to full-service movers.
Shipping one car adds about $350 to $600, against roughly $0 in fuel and lodging to drive it the 1-day trip yourself.
Housing and everyday prices here are for the metro area. Income and sales tax are set by state law and have no metro equivalent, so both sides use Texas's rates, and the difference you see is housing and everyday prices alone.
Run this with your own numbers
Estimates only, not advice. Housing and income figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2024); price levels from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024); tax rates are for the 2026 tax year, compiled from state revenue departments and the Tax Foundation. Moving costs are modelled from published ranges rather than quoted. Housing and price figures are metro-area medians or averages; income and sales tax are statewide. Neither will match any particular household.