Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Houston, TX and Barnet

For one person, living is cheaper in Houston, TX: $2,719 a month against $2,941 in Barnet, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barnet outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Houston, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,719
/mo nomad
Barnet
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,941
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Houston, TX and in Barnet

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Houston, TX and in Barnet actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,719 per month in Houston, TX vs $2,941 in Barnet, rent included.

  • Houston, TX $2,719
  • Barnet $2,941

A couple spends around $3,904 per month in Houston, TX vs $4,337 in Barnet, rent included.

  • Houston, TX $3,904
  • Barnet $4,337

A family of three spends $5,089 per month in Houston, TX vs $5,732 in Barnet, rent included.

  • Houston, TX $5,089
  • Barnet $5,732

Houston, TX is about 8% cheaper than Barnet, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Houston, TX and Barnet sit above the global median – Houston, TX by 101%, Barnet by 117%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Houston, TX
Barnet
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.09 $20.09
$23.54 £17.66
-14.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.6 $75.6
$92.0 £69.0
-17.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.86 $9.86
$10.76 £8.07
-8.36%
Cappuccino
$5.44 $5.44
$5.76 £4.32
-5.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.64 $2.64
$2.89 £2.17
-8.65%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.24 $2.24
$1.93 £1.45
16.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.85 $5.85
$7.99 £6.00
-26.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.95 $7.95
$6.56 £4.92
21.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Houston, TX
Barnet
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.88 $0.88
$1.64 £1.23
-46.34%
White Bread (500g)
$3.38 $3.38
$1.79 £1.34
88.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.23 $4.23
$2.52 £1.89
67.86%
Eggs
$3.35 $3.35
$4.82 £3.61
-30.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.25 $11.25
$11.56 £8.67
-2.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.70 $12.70
$10.61 £7.96
19.70%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.34 $16.34
$17.26 £12.95
-5.33%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 $4.05
$3.03 £2.27
33.66%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.76 £1.32
-17.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.01 $3.01
$3.05 £2.29
-1.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.80 $3.80
$3.46 £2.60
9.83%
Potato (1kg)
$2.13 $2.13
$1.82 £1.36
17.03%
Onion (1kg)
$2.75 $2.75
$1.83 £1.37
50.27%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.95 $1.95
$1.24 £0.93
57.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.57 $2.57
$1.80 £1.35
42.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.20 $10.20
$24.04 £18.04
-57.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.54 $14.54
$12.00 £9.00
21.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.57 $2.57
$3.21 £2.41
-19.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.96 $2.96
$4.53 £3.40
-34.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Houston, TX
Barnet
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.22 $1.22
$2.29 £1.72
-46.72%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$75.4 $75.4
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.93 $2.93
$5.57 £4.18
-47.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.46 $1.46
$2.63 £1.97
-44.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.27 $24.27
$50.1 £37.56
-51.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.91 $0.91
$2.07 £1.56
-56.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K $33.7K
$38.8K £29.1K
-13.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.3K $27.3K
$41.1K £30.8K
-33.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Houston, TX
Barnet
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$199 $199
$338 £253
-40.99%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$64.7 $64.7
$18.82 £14.12
243.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$77.8 $77.8
$40.52 £30.40
91.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Houston, TX
Barnet
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.21 $39.21
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.61 $20.61
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.88 $14.88
$17.19 £12.90
-13.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Houston, TX
Barnet
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,198 $2,198
$2,564 £1,924
-14.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.3K $22.3K
$35.2K £26.4K
-36.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Houston, TX
Barnet
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.8 $50.8
$90.1 £67.6
-43.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.79 $47.79
$46.56 £34.93
2.64%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 $106
$92.0 £69.0
15.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.8 $95.8
$129 £96.6
-25.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Houston, TX
Barnet
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,680 $1,680
$1,984 £1,488
-15.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,385 $1,385
$1,616 £1,213
-14.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,001 $3,001
$3,261 £2,446
-7.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,157 $2,157
$2,847 £2,136
-24.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,400 $2,400
$14.2K £10.7K
-83.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,799 $1,799
$14.4K £10.8K
-87.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Houston, TX
Barnet
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,204 $4,204
$2,685 £2,015
56.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.7
4.74
41.35%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Houston, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Barnet: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Houston, TX
$1.4K
Barnet
$1.6K 16.7% $231
Groceries & Markets
Houston, TX
$378
Barnet
$343 9.2% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Houston, TX
$342
Barnet
$397 16.2% $55
Eating Out
Houston, TX
$320
Barnet
$362 13% $42
Clothing & Footwear
Houston, TX
$135
Barnet
$161 18.9% $26
Getting Around
Houston, TX
$91
Barnet
$28 * 69.2% $63
Sport & Entertainment
Houston, TX
$69
Barnet
$34 * 50.1% $35

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,680 in Houston, TX versus $1,984 in Barnet. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 57% higher in Houston, TX, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Houston, TX versus $92.0 in Barnet. Groceries tell a different story – $378 in Houston, TX vs $343 in Barnet – so Barnet wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Houston, TX
🇬🇧 Barnet
🕒 Local time
23:36 11:36 PM
05:36 5:36 AM
6 h ahead of Houston, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,304,580
111,973
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Houston, TX Barnet 7,790 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Houston, TX
  • Barnet

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Houston, TX vs Barnet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Barnet cheaper than Houston, TX?
Yes – Barnet is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,079 per month in Houston, TX and $4,412 in Barnet. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Houston, TX, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Houston, TX or in Barnet?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Houston, TX and $92.0 in Barnet. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Houston, TX and in Barnet?
Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Barnet – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Is $2,000 enough to cover costs in Houston, TX or in Barnet?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,719 in Houston, TX and $2,941 in Barnet. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Houston, TX or Barnet more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Houston, TX – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Houston, TX. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barnet makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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