Cost of Living in Texas
When people talk about the cost of living in Texas, the total amount of money needed to cover basic expenses like housing, food, transportation, and healthcare in the state. Also known as Texas living expenses, it’s not just about rent—it’s about whether your paycheck stretches far enough to actually survive. Texas often gets called affordable, but that label hides a lot of variation. In Austin or Dallas, rent alone can eat up half your income. In rural towns, you might find cheaper housing but pay more for gas, groceries, and healthcare because services are farther away.
The Texas housing costs, the price of renting or buying a home across different cities and counties in Texas are the biggest shock for newcomers. A one-bedroom apartment in Houston averages over $1,400 a month. In San Antonio, it’s closer to $1,100. But outside the big cities, you might find $800 units—only to realize there’s no public transit, so you need a car, insurance, and gas just to get to work. Meanwhile, Texas utilities, the monthly bills for electricity, water, internet, and trash collection in Texas homes are some of the highest in the country, especially in summer. Texas has no statewide price cap on electricity, so your bill can spike during heat waves. People on fixed incomes or low wages often skip meals just to pay the power bill.
Texas food prices, the cost of groceries and meals in Texas supermarkets and restaurants are rising faster than wages. A family of four spending $600 a month on groceries in 2020 is now spending $850. And that’s before you factor in the lack of affordable grocery stores in many neighborhoods—what’s called a food desert. Meanwhile, Texas wages, the typical earnings for workers across different industries and regions in Texas haven’t kept up. Minimum wage is still $7.25 an hour, the federal floor. Even a full-time job at that rate leaves you below the poverty line in most parts of the state. That’s why so many people rely on programs like the Senior Food Program or Start Smart Program just to get by.
It’s not just about numbers—it’s about trade-offs. Do you drive farther for cheaper rent and spend more on gas? Do you skip the doctor because you can’t afford the co-pay? Do you work two jobs just to cover the rent and still miss your kid’s school play? These aren’t hypotheticals. They’re daily choices for thousands of Texans. The posts below dig into real programs, hidden costs, and survival strategies people use across the state—from emergency housing help to food bank access to understanding what your paycheck really buys. You won’t find fluff here. Just what you need to know before you move, or while you’re trying to make it work where you are.
