Bargain housing prices and a low tax burden keep living expenses in Houston below those in most major metropolitan areas.

The ACCRA Cost of Living Index shows that Houston's overall after-taxes living costs are 8 percent below the nationwide average, largely due to housing costs that are 21 percent below the average.

In the context of the 29 metropolitan areas with more than 1.7 million population that participated in the Third Quarter 2002 ACCRA survey, Houston's cost-of-living advantage is even more pronounced. Houston's housing costs are 46 percent below the average for the large metro areas, and its overall costs are 23 percent below the average for this group.

Houston has the lowest housing prices among the 29 large metros. Houston's grocery prices are 11 percent below the major-metro average; its utility costs are 4 percent below the average; its transportation costs are 6 percent above the average; its health care costs are 1 percent above the average; and its costs for miscellaneous goods and services are 4 percent below the average.