Cost of living in 21 Texas cities, ranked cheapest to most expensive
Moreover, we have discovered in detail which cities are the most expensive for living here.
Cost of Living in Texas Cities: These Are the Top 5
After Alaska – here it comes Texas, the second largest state of the territory of the United States.
Also, it is in second place by most high population, just after California.
It has a location in the south-central area of America.
The state of Texas borders with Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Chihuahua, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas and Coahuila.
In This “Lone Star State” (a nickname for Texas), the capital and the most populated city is Austin.
This state is also known for its tasty barbeque, hot weather, vibrant nightlife with live music, and so more.
We have prepared this post for you about the cost of living in this spectacular state of Texas.
Moreover, we have discovered in detail which cities are the most expensive for living here.
- The Cost of Living in This State
- Utility Costs
- Food Costs
- Transportation Costs
- Austin
- Houston
- San Antonio
- Dallas
- Fort Worth
The Cost of Living in This State
In general, all the living cost in Texas is affordable.
Definitely, what makes the living cost in Texas cheap are reasonable prices for housing and renting.
Therefore, you will indeed be able to live and buy a home here without having an enormous impact on your financial budget.
However, if you are looking to move into the capital city, or other expensive cities like Houston, Dallas, or San Antonio, that price will be more than $410,000.
On the other side, renting prices are likewise below the national standard prices for renting.
As so, the usual one-bedroom apartment could cost not above $1,000 on a monthly rank.
Then again, this price could vary, depending on which city you are looking to move in.
E.g., in a smaller town, this price is around $700, while in most famous cities, that price could rise to an enormously $1,400 for just a one-bedroom apartment.
Utility Costs
Even though we have said that Texas has pretty warm weather- that does not bother utility costs.
In fact, even if air conditioning is on all summer – the energy bills are not so heightened.
Hence, the typical resident in Texas pays only $390 for utility costs like cable, water, electricity, garbage, and natural gas.
As we know, for typical Americans, this price is around $430.
Consequently is good to know that Texas is in the top ten states with having low utility expenses, besides its hot temperature.
Food Costs
Speaking of foods in Texas is beyond belief, not to mention the traditional way of cooking meat – Texan Barbeque.
You can enjoy eating delicious meat smoking with different BBQ varieties.
And all that for a pretty low price.
Additionally, the typical person who lives in Texas spends around $300 on groceries, on monthly basics.
That leads to the conclusion that groceries are much $19 lower than the national standard prices for groceries.
However, eating out has an expensive cost.
Having dinner or lunch in a famous restaurant across Texas State is pretty expensive.
Transportation Costs
In this large and populated state, there is no wonder why transportation costs are highly costly.
You can see that besides its low cost of living here, the transport expenses are not very affordable.
In fact, the gas prices are not the highest, but they are not the most inexpensive either.
However, insuring a car in the Lone Star State is more than the national standard prices, and it is a high price.
As for using public transportation, the prices vary depending on each city we are talking.
In less populated cities, the monthly transport ticker is not much than $55.
But, this price in the most expensive cities in Texas – is almost $100.
The Most Expensive Cities in Texas
After we have seen the cost of living in this state, from housing costs to transportation expenses, let’s take a look at the most expensive cities in Texas – Austin, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Fort Worth.
Austin
Austin is the capital city of the Lone Star State.
It is famous for its legendary music scene and particular cowboy culture.
Houses in Austin costs a fascinating $460,900, which is twice the national standard prices for homes.
As for renting, the average cost for studios rates between $900-$1000.
Even more, utility expenses are much higher than in the whole state.
Monthly bills, including water, garbage, electricity, and gas, cost around $400.
And the most importantly – the food prices.
Meals in a restaurant go from $16 to $36 per one person, which is sort of similar to the most expensive cities in the U.S, like San Fransico and Washington, D.C.
But, the food prices in supermarkets are undoubtedly below the national standards.
Houston
In the city of Houston, you will be surprised by the food prices in supermarkets.
Those prices make the living cost here much expensive.
For instance, a loaf of fresh bread is roughly $3.25, a gallon of milk is $2.45, and a 12inch pizza hut is $10 up.
As for housing and renting prices, they are kind of cheaper than in Austin.
For example, the typical home price is around $300,000, while the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $1,460.
Leisure activities are highly costed in this city.
One yoga class is not less than $20, while a movie ticker for one seat is much more than $10.
San Antonio
San Antonio is in the south-central state of Texas.
It is one of the biggest cities in this state, and the most expensive one, just like Austin and Houston.
Although the regular cost of living is below the national standard, it is still high for Texas.
Hence, in this city, you can not eat a fast food meal in McDonald less than $6.
Other prices for usual living, such as transportation and housing – are pretty expensive.
Dallas
In Dallas, the housing costs are 6.5% higher than the standard norms.
So are utility expenditures.
In detail, the utility bill per one person in Dallas can be more than $155, while for a family, it costs $350.
Having a regular dinner in a restaurant for two people – the bill you can be maybe more than $70.
However, Dallas has many gorgeous attractions that need to be visited, so who has in mind this high cost of living here?
Fort Worth
The last one is – Fort Worth.
This city is in 5th place by a large area in Texas, and it is in the top list of the five most expensive cities in this state.
All things for a living are slightly expensive if we compare them to the other cities in Texas.
But, generally speaking, it is pretty low cost if we compare it to the other cities across the United States.
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Cost of living in 21 Texas cities, ranked cheapest to most expensive
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- Plano had the highest Cost of Living Index score among 21 Texas cities.
- Most of those 21 urban areas were less expensive than the national average.
- Harlingen, Texas, was the least expensive among the 21 Texas locations with scores.
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Plano and Dallas in Texas are more expensive places to live in in the state than Houston or Abilene, based on a Cost of Living Index for the second quarter.
The Council for Community and Economic Research, or C2ER, creates a quarterly Cost of Living Index. The index is based on a few different categories, such as utilities and housing. There were 274 urban areas that participated in the second quarter, a press release said.
“The Cost of Living Index measures regional differences in the cost of consumer goods and services, excluding taxes and non-consumer expenditures, for professional and managerial households in the top income quintile,” the press release said.
Insider also looked at the cost of living for places in Florida and California. While all 10 urban areas in California in the second quarter’s analysis had an index above the national average of 100, meaning they’re more expensive than the average US urban area in the study, that wasn’t true for Texas.
The urban areas of Plano and Dallas were the only two places among the 21 Texas locations that had scores above the national average of 100. Austin didn’t fall too behind the national average though, with a composite index of 98.8.
The following shows how the 21 Texas urban areas with data for the second quarter ranked among each other, based on the Cost of Living Index from C2ER. We also included several average prices for each location from C2ER that was shared with Insider. These prices were based on certain criteria. For instance, home prices is based on newer-construction homes with certain features of the home, among other criteria.
21. Harlingen, Texas
Composite index: 79.6
Home price: $331,625
Apartment rent: $854
Energy: $201.74
Doctor visit: $95
Beauty salon visit: $42.5
20. McAllen, Texas
Composite index: 81.8
Home price: $275,333
Apartment rent: $852
Energy: $199.84
Doctor visit: $87.5
Beauty salon visit: $31.67
19. Amarillo, Texas
Composite index: 85.9
Home price: $290,338
Apartment rent: $1,205
Energy: $175.98
Doctor visit: $114
Beauty salon visit: $51
18. Nacogdoches, Texas
Composite index: 87.0
Home price: $385,511
Apartment rent: $864
Energy: $227.18
Doctor visit: $121.5
Beauty salon visit: $31
17. El Paso, Texas
Composite index: 87.4
Home price: $318,129
Apartment rent: $1,265
Energy: $144.43
Doctor visit: $127
Beauty salon visit: $35.33
16. San Antonio, Texas
Composite index: 91.2
Home price: $338,013
Apartment rent: $1,467
Energy: $137.32
Doctor visit: $146.67
Beauty salon visit: $72.8
15. Temple, Texas
Composite index: 91.6
Home price: $412,607
Apartment rent: $1,382
Energy: $227.09
Doctor visit: $162.14
Beauty salon visit: $43.67
14. Abilene, Texas
Composite index: 91.9
Home price: $423,130
Apartment rent: $1,102
Energy: $187.05
Doctor visit: $117.33
Beauty salon visit: $32.5
13. Corpus Christi, Texas
Composite index: 92.1
Home price: $350,963
Apartment rent: $1,442.5
Energy: $233.38
Doctor visit: $103.33
Beauty salon visit: $43.5
12. Lubbock, Texas
Composite index: 92.2
Home price: $449,213
Apartment rent: $1,012
Energy: $161.68
Doctor visit: $103.5
Beauty salon visit: $46.25
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