C+
16%
Overall NAT. AVG.
1%
Goods & Services NAT. AVG.
59%
Housing NAT. AVG.
Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2025 and was released from C2ER in January, 2026; this is the most current data available.
The cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. For example, if the cost of living is 90, then it is 10% lower than average. If the cost of living is 110, then it is 10% higher than average. The breakdown for each index is as follows: goods & services (33%), groceries (13%), health care (5%), housing (30%), transportation (9%) and utilities (10%). If the cost of living data was unavailable for this city, estimates based upon nearby cities were used.
Index Friendswood Texas National
Cost of living11692100
Goods & Services10196100
Groceries9895100
Health care9697100
Housing15983100
Transportation9692100
Utilities91102100
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An Overview of Cost of Living in Friendswood, TX

Getting a feel for the cost of living in Friendswood is essential for anyone planning to relocate, as it empowers them to make informed financial decisions, secure a comfortable lifestyle and maintain financial stability in their new environment. The cost of living in Friendswood is 116, which is 16% higher than the national average. Relocating individuals may need to adjust their savings and investment strategies based on the cost of living in the new location. It influences decisions about retirement planning, investments and financial goals.

Housing costs make up a big chunk of the cost of living in Friendswood, and they usually eat into a large part of your take-home pay. Unfortunately, in this area, both buying a home and renting one costs 58.6% more than the average city. This includes stuff like home prices, rent, mortgage rates, and insurance.

What Do Locals Say About the Cost of Living in Friendswood?

Locals have the inside scoop on their city. So, we polled 7 residents in Friendswood to learn how they view the cost of living. We asked how they felt about the cost of living in their area, and if they thought that prices were increasing, decreasing or staying the same. The verdict? 14% find it reasonable with decreasing prices, but 86% think it's quite pricey, with prices that continue to rise.

Is Friendswood Affordable?

Is Friendswood affordable? It's a key consideration when pondering a move, as affordability often shapes your choices. The cost of living index (we discussed it earlier), coupled with housing costs and income levels, serves as the cornerstone for determining a location's affordability. Take Friendswood, for instance, where the median home price falls 65.3% higher than the national average, and monthly rent rates are 43% higher than usual. Additionally, median income levels contribute to the equation, with Friendswood flaunting a median household income of $162,034, 99.2% higher than the national norm.

What Factors can Influence the Cost of Living in Friendswood?

Housing: High demand for housing in desirable locations can drive up property prices and rental rates. This can be a primary contributor to a higher cost of living. While low demand for housing, especially in undesirable locations, can have the reverse effect and drive prices down, resulting in a lower cost of living. The housing index in Friendswood, is 58.6% higher than the national average.

Healthcare: Healthcare expenses and insurance premiums can vary significantly depending on the specific city or state. Factors such as accessibility to healthcare facilities, out-of-pocket expenses for doctor's visits, dental care expenses, prescription costs and specialized medical care fees can all influence the overall cost of living. In Friendswood, healthcare costs are 4% lower than the national average.

Urbanization: Larger, urban centers, known for their wealth of amenities and strong employment prospects, often exhibit an elevated cost of living, primarily attributable to the heightened demand for services and residential relocation. Consequently, this scenario leads to elevated home prices and higher rental rates. In contrast, sparsely populated rural areas or regions characterized by diminished demand typically provide a more limited array of amenities and experience slower job market growth, resulting in a more affordable cost of living.

Where is the Data From?

The Friendswood cost of living data displayed above is derived from the C2ER cost of living index to provide a useful and reasonably accurate measure of living cost differences in urban areas. The index takes into account data from 300 independent researches, covering more than 60 goods and services across 6 different categories, to create an overall index for each area, with 100 being the average. The C2ER index does not include sales or income tax rates in their data, however AreaVibes does include both income and sales tax rates in the overall cost of living score for each area.

Cost Of Living Quick Facts

  • The cost of living in Friendswood is 26% higher than the Texas average
  • The cost of living in Friendswood is 16% higher than the national average
  • Friendswood housing is 59% higher than the national average
  • Texas general sales tax is 22% higher than the national average
  • Texas state income tax is 100% lower than the national average

Most Affordable Places to Live in and Around Friendswood

See all the best places to live around Friendswood

Compare Friendswood, TX Cost of Living

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      Salary Calculator

      This is how much you would need to earn in
      Price difference in compared to
      Cost of living index
      Goods & Services index
      Groceries index
      Health care index
      Housing index
      Transportation index
      Utilities index

      Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

      Median Income Per Year Per Month Max Budget (28% DTI) Max Budget (36% DTI)
      Owners$194,067$16,172$4,528$5,823
      Renters$97,306$8,109$2,270$2,919
      A good way to judge both the affordability of the housing and the cost of living in Friendswood is by simply calculating the maximum that should be spent on housing, otherwise known as the debt-to-income ratio (DTI). The plan is to avoid spending more than 28 percent of the gross income on costs that pertain to housing and no more than 36 percent on all expenses and debts. Friendswood has a median income of about $194,067 for people who own homes. Based on that number, a maximum of $4,528 should be spent on expenses related to housing. Renters have a slightly different median income, which is $97,306. Based on this average, renters should spend no more than $2,270 on all rental costs if they want to maintain a non-impoverished standard of living.

      Texas Sales Tax

      State General Sales Tax With Max Surtax
      Texas 6.25% 8.25%

      Texas Income Tax

      State Income Tax (Low) Income Tax (High)
      Texas 0% 0%

      Goods & Services

      Item Friendswood National avg. Difference
      Haircut $26.93$27.622.5%
      Beauty Salon $66.13$51.1129.4%
      Toothpaste $4.18$4.092.1%
      Shampoo $1.52$1.541.4%
      Movie $12.48$12.883.1%
      Yoga $23.47$19.6619.4%

      Groceries

      Item Friendswood National avg. Difference
      Ground Beef $7.30$7.705.3%
      Fried Chicken $1.66$1.660.1%
      Milk $4.60$4.732.8%
      Potatoes $5.45$5.263.7%
      Pizza $12.36$12.763.2%
      Beer $10.84$10.552.8%

      Health Care

      Item Friendswood National avg. Difference
      Optometrist $184.55$140.0631.8%
      Doctor $105.70$153.8231.3%
      Dentist $149.33$123.1521.3%
      Ibuprofen $11.68$11.730.4%
      Lipitor $16.38$23.6130.6%

      Housing

      Item Friendswood National avg. Difference
      Home Price $539,754.00$326,622.0065.3%
      Avg. Mortgage Payment $1,950.49$2,480.2521.4%
      Apartment Rent $2,065.00$1,444.0043.0%

      Transportation

      Item Friendswood National avg. Difference
      Gasoline $2.68$3.0612.3%
      Tire Balancing $75.02$65.2115.0%

      Utilities

      Item Friendswood National avg. Difference
      All Electricity $185.39$220.1215.8%
      Phone $201.96$195.713.2%
      Although the cost of living data is updated regularly, this cost of living information is to be used as estimates only as prices can change on an ongoing basis.

      Nearby cities with low cost of living

      City Population Cost of Living Index National Avg.
      Liverpool, TX5338614.5%
      South Houston, TX17,971909.9%
      La Marque, TX17,391918.9%
      Hitchcock, TX8,085918.9%
      Pasadena, TX157,942946.5%
      Friendswood, TX40,78511616.3%

      Cities with similar population

      City Population Cost of Living Index National Avg.
      Keizer, OR40,78711818.5%
      Columbia, TN40,814964.2%
      Marlborough, MA40,75314342.8%
      Sumter, SC40,739928.3%
      Germantown, TN40,72511514.9%
      Friendswood, TX40,78511616.3%
      Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2025 and was released from C2ER in January, 2026; this is the most current data available.