Houston vs Corpus Christi
Houston, TX · Corpus Christi, TX
Corpus Christi is 9% cheaper than Houston overall.
Home Price
Houston: $320,000
Corpus: $240,000
Monthly Rent
Houston: $1,262/mo
Corpus: $975/mo
COL Index
Houston: 101
Corpus: 92
Median Income
Houston: $67,800
Corpus: $56,800
Side-by-Side Comparison
Median Home Price
Monthly Rent (Median)
Median Household Income
Property Tax Rate
Cost of Living Index
100 = national average
Avg. Commute
Unemployment Rate
Median Age
What This Means For You
Buying Power
A $100,000 salary in Houston has the same purchasing power as $91,089 in Corpus Christi — based on each city's cost of living index.
Housing
Homes in Corpus Christi cost 25% more (-$80,000 extra). Expect a larger mortgage and down payment.
Renting
Renting in Corpus Christi saves you $287/month — $3,444 per year. Median rent: $1,262/mo in Houston vs $975/mo in Corpus Christi.
Property Taxes
On a median-priced home, Houston owners pay roughly $6,080/year in property taxes vs $4,320/year in Corpus Christi. That's a $1,760 annual difference.
Local Earnings
Median household income is $67,800 in Houston and $56,800 in Corpus Christi. Corpus Christi residents earn 16% more — but remember to factor in cost of living.
Daily Commute
Average commute is 29 minutes in Houston vs 22 minutes in Corpus Christi. Over a year, that's 3500 extra minutes (58 hours) of commuting in Houston.
Salary Equivalence
To maintain the same lifestyle when moving from Houston to Corpus Christi, here's the salary you'd need:
| Salary in Houston | Equivalent in Corpus Christi | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $45,545 | -$4,455 |
| $75,000 | $68,317 | -$6,683 |
| $100,000 | $91,089 | -$8,911 |
| $150,000 | $136,634 | -$13,366 |
| $200,000 | $182,178 | -$17,822 |
* Calculated using cost of living indices (national average = 100). Does not account for state income tax differences.
Run the Numbers
Mortgage Calculator
See monthly payments for homes in either city
Rent vs Buy
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in these markets?
Cost of Living
Full cost of living comparison tool
Home Appreciation
Project future home value growth
Affordability Calculator
How much home can you afford?
Property Tax Calculator
Estimate taxes in Houston or Corpus Christi
Houston Calculators
Corpus Christi Calculators
Related Comparisons
Houston vs Corpus Christi: Common Questions
Is Houston or Corpus Christi cheaper to live in?
Based on cost of living indices, Corpus Christi is cheaper overall. Houston has a COL index of 101 while Corpus Christi scores 92 (national average = 100).
How do home prices compare between Houston and Corpus Christi?
The median home price in Houston is $320,000 vs $240,000 in Corpus Christi — a difference of $80,000 (25%).
What salary do I need in Corpus Christi to match my Houston income?
Use the salary equivalence table above. For example, a $100K salary in Houston is equivalent to $91,089 in Corpus Christi in terms of purchasing power.
Which city has lower property taxes?
Corpus Christi has a lower property tax rate (1.8% vs 1.9%). On a median-priced home, that means paying $4,320/year vs $6,080/year.
Cost of living data sourced from Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index, U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, and Zillow Research. Tax rates from Tax Foundation and state revenue agencies. Last updated: March 2025.