I have a Job offer in Houston, TX and I need help to know major things about living cost there. ?

Question

I will be moving with my wife and two childs 2 and 5 year old (4 person family) Please guide me what would be my average expenditure per month in houston for average style living.

1) Apartment or House Rent (2 - 3 BR) for start

2) Food (If mostly cooked at home) & groceries

3) Utility bills (electricity, water, gas)

4) If I buy a car on installments (btw i have no idea of car prices in US), car insurance

5) School expenses and taxes

6) Other major expenses..

How much should i expect to save after all expenditures if i have average living style?

Btw i dont have any idea how much taxes would be deducted from my salary? how much taxes will be deducted if I am married with two childs and my wife is not working.

Answer 1

I live outside of houston with a family of 5 and this is my rundown of bills, etc



1. House rent (3 beds/2baths on 1 acre)- $800/month

2. Food- $600/month (cooking at home, my family eats out maybe twice a month)

3. Utilities- Electric- $280/month, water- free (my house runs on well water), gas (my house is electric)

4. Car insurance- there are so many insurnce agencies where you can pay as little as $40-60/month for two drivers & two cars but it can go as high $120/month

Car payments- again so many buy here/pay here places and you can make instalments for as little as $60/week for a descent family car or $80-100 for a SUV/Truck

5. Public schools are free, Daycare (up to 5 years old) can run you anywhere from $100/week to $200/week. There are many private schools and each one varies, but some offer financial aid

6. rental insurance- $30-50/month, Fuel- each fill up $30-$100 (depending on vehicle), Cable/home phone/internet- $100/month (AT&T), Cell phone service- $50 unlimited (Boost Mobile)



If you rent an apartment water/sewer/garbage is usual included in the rental price. Renting a house all those costs are normally on you. Utility Bills will vary depending on the are you live in, because some areas have several electric companies and some areas only have one electric company. Some of them will include gas prices, others won'ts and you'll have two seperate bills.



Your price of rent will also vary greatly by the area you live in, I live outside Houston in the country so my rent is realitively cheap, downtown Houston you can look at paying at least $1200 for a nice 3 bedroom aprtment. There's a couple very nice areas outside Houston (kingwood, humble) where you can get a 4 bedroom house for around $1200/month.



Something you might want to check into is contacting a real estate agent and telling them what you are looking for in housing and what kind of area you want to live in and there are many of them that will be able to find you a rental property in an area you want.

Answer 2

Much lower than the rest of the nation I can tell you that much. Its a pretty nice city to live in. As for the insurance costs and property tax, it all depends on which part of the city you live in. I would rec commend Cypress, TX which is on the NW side. Very nice school district so I don't think you will mind the property tax if you decide to buy a home here. Its also has easy access to the major highways such as Beltway 8 and Loop 610 and 290 so your commute shouldn't be that bad. Perhaps come and visit Houston before you move here? I think you will like it and Good Luck!

Answer 3

If you are a female, you need to be alert and aware of your surroundings at all times. Trust your gut feelings. Is there a lot of crime in Houston? Well, look at the supermarkets at night and you will see security guards (some are off duty HPD) carrying guns. When you starting watching the news in Houston, you will notice that almost daily, there is a shooting (often in a part of town called the southwest). Good places to live? Depends on where you are going to school or working. Do not depend on the realtor or apt finding agency to tell you what the drive time is. Do the "commute" yourself during rush hour and find out firsthand. "Inside the 610 loop" locations will often save your drive time. But look at the neighborhood-- if you see young men loitering during the work day or ppl fixing cars in the street, NOT a good sign. Good towns to live in (near or completely surrounded by Houston): W. University Place, Bellaire, Sugarland, Pearland. Good neighborhoods: Meyerland, River Oaks.

Answer 4

The cost of living as a rule is below the national average in Texas. Slightly higher than the South but lower than the Midwest, West Coast and especially the East Coast. There are no state income taxes that would be taken out of your pay check. Car insurance is 15% higher than the National average.

Answer 5

There are so many variables that it's impossible to answer your question precisely.



1) rental might start at $1500 per month http://www.har.com

2) groceries -- again it depends on how you like to eat $300 per month?

3) depending on what type of place you live, plan for at least $200 per month

4) auto check out this site: http://www.carmax.com

5) School expenses free public schools or you can enroll the children in a private school at different costs, depending on the school

6) Insurance for home and auto, entertainment, clothing, etc.



Taxes? Depends on your tax bracket (how much you earn) but could be around 50% for everything (taxes, retirement, insurance, etc.)