D+
24%
Overall NAT. AVG.
1%
Goods & Services NAT. AVG.
84%
Housing NAT. AVG.
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Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2023 and was released from C2ER in January, 2024; 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 Sugar Land Texas National
Cost of living12492100
Goods & Services10196100
Groceries10096100
Health care9494100
Housing18483100
Transportation9092100
Utilities103104100

An Overview of Cost of Living in Sugar Land, TX

The cost of living in Sugar Land affects the quality of life one can afford in this new location. It allows people to assess whether they can maintain their preferred lifestyle, including housing, leisure activities and dining options. Your total monthly expenditures can varry depending on the area, as well as many other factors. The cost of living in Sugar Land is 124, which is 24% higher than the national average. Knowledge of the cost of living can help individuals make informed decisions about retirement savings, investments, and financial goals.

If you're in pursuit of an economical living environment, Sugar Land may not fit the bill, as it ranks among the most expensive places to reside in the United States. Just a minority of regions exhibit a cost of living that is more than 20% higher than the national average, and, unfortunately, Sugar Land falls within this bracket.

Housing costs make up a big chunk of the cost of living in Sugar Land, 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 83.8% 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 Sugar Land?

Nobody knows their city better than the people who actually live there. So, we asked 8 local residents how they would rate the cost of living in Sugar Land and this is how they responded. 50% of people said that the cost of living was affordable, with prices decreasing, while 50% of people said that the cost of living was very expensive and prices continue to rise.

Is Sugar Land Affordable?

Is Sugar Land an affordable place to live? That's a valid question to ask when you're thinking about moving to a new city. After all, how much it costs to live somewhere can be a huge factor in your decision. Affordability can be broken down into 3 common categories. The cost of living index (we talked about it earlier), housing expenses and income levels all play a big role in figuring out if a place is affordable. For instance, in Sugar Land, the median home price is 82.8% higher than what most folks pay across the country, and monthly rent prices are 86.3% higher than the usual rates. Income levels in Sugar Land come in at $123,261, which is 122.8% higher than the national average.

What Factors can Influence the Cost of Living in Sugar Land?

Transportation: If public transportation is limited or not available, residents may need to own and maintain vehicles, which can add to the cost of living. Gas, insurance, regular maintenance and potentially lease or finance payments will all need to be paid on a monthly basis. In Sugar Land, the transportation index is 9.6% lower 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 Sugar Land, healthcare costs are 6.1% lower than the national average.

Groceries: Grocery prices have seen substantial hikes in the last 2-3 years, with some markets witnessing food cost increases of over 20% during this period. Conversely, certain markets have experienced only moderate upticks. These variations in food expenses can have a substantial impact on the overall cost of living in any locality. In Sugar Land, the groceries index is 0% equal to the national average.

Where is the Data From?

The Sugar Land 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. Published on a quarterly basis, it compiles data from more than 300 independent researchers, encompassing over 60 goods and services. These items have been meticulously selected to represent various consumer expenditure categories, in 6 categories. Weightings assigned to cost differentials draw from government survey data tracking spending patterns among professional and executive households. While the C2ER index excludes data on sales or income tax rates, AreaVibes incorporates tax rates into the overall cost of living score for each region.

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Cost Of Living Quick Facts

  • The cost of living in Sugar Land is 35% higher than the Texas average
  • The cost of living in Sugar Land is 24% higher than the national average
  • Sugar Land housing is 84% 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 Sugar Land

See all the best places to live around Sugar Land

Compare Sugar Land, 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$136,232$11,353$3,179$4,087
      Renters$73,115$6,093$1,706$2,194
      The affordability of the housing market in Sugar Land, TX as well as the overall cost of living can be predicted by what percent of the monthly income is spent on housing related costs. This is konwn as the debt-to-income ratio (DTI). The overall rule of thumb is that no more than 28% of your gross income should be spent on the overall costs related to housing and no more than 36% of gross income on all expenses and debts. Among Sugar Land homeowners, the median income is $136,232. This indicates that a monthly maximum of $3,179 should be spent by homeowners on all housing related costs. Renters have a median income of $73,115. This indicates that renters would have a maximum of $1,706 for their rent related monthly costs.

      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 Sugar Land National avg. Difference
      Haircut $20.33$24.2616.2%
      Beauty Salon $47.38$45.564.0%
      Toothpaste $3.48$3.706.1%
      Shampoo $1.22$1.285.0%
      Movie $12.19$12.130.4%
      Bowling $15.83$18.0012.0%

      Groceries

      Item Sugar Land National avg. Difference
      Ground Beef $5.25$5.8410.1%
      Fried Chicken $1.61$1.572.4%
      Milk $4.55$4.672.5%
      Potatoes $5.00$4.931.4%
      Pizza $11.82$12.092.2%
      Beer $10.38$10.410.3%

      Health Care

      Item Sugar Land National avg. Difference
      Optometrist $125.98$125.680.2%
      Doctor $90.89$135.7833.1%
      Dentist $108.10$113.294.6%
      Ibuprofen $10.46$10.651.8%
      Lipitor $503.40$468.607.4%

      Housing

      Item Sugar Land National avg. Difference
      Home Price $337,600.00$184,700.0082.8%
      Avg. Mortgage Payment $2,055.86$2,346.6912.4%
      Apartment Rent $1,768.00$949.0086.3%

      Transportation

      Item Sugar Land National avg. Difference
      Gasoline $3.14$3.469.1%
      Tire Balancing $56.62$59.925.5%

      Utilities

      Item Sugar Land National avg. Difference
      All Electricity $233.43$193.9920.3%
      Phone $208.71$192.258.6%
      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.
      Fifth Street, TX2,1798218.3%
      Sandy Point, TX2098811.6%
      Fairchilds, TX712919.1%
      Arcola, TX2,541928.0%
      Needville, TX3,113963.7%
      Sugar Land, TX118,56312424.4%

      Cities with similar population

      City Population Cost of Living Index National Avg.
      Richardson, TX118,58312525.0%
      Evansville, IN118,4148911.1%
      Waterloo, ON118,234n/a 
      Terrebonne, QC119,135n/a 
      Cambridge, MA117,822201101.1%
      Sugar Land, TX118,56312424.4%
      Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2023 and was released from C2ER in January, 2024; this is the most current data available.