When choosing a place to live, there are a lot of factors to consider, and the cost of living is an extremely important component for most people. Texas and Oklahoma border each other in the southern central continental USA, and while they may offer a similar culture, you may be wondering: Is it cheaper to live in Texas or Oklahoma?
Overall, it is cheaper to live in Oklahoma than it is to live in Texas. Oklahoma was rated second in the nation for cost of living, whereas Texas came in at number sixteen. It’s important to note that these statistics depend on whether you are living in a city or a small town, and some cities in Oklahoma will certainly have a higher cost of living than small towns in Texas.
If you want to learn a little more about how much it costs to live in Oklahoma versus how much it costs to live in Texas, keep reading! We have several examples to compare life in these two southern states so you can confidently decide whether one or the other is the right location for your life!
Cost of Living in Oklahoma
Before we do a side-by-side comparison of how much it costs to live in either Oklahoma or Texas, you should know what the cost of living is in the various areas of Oklahoma.
For the first quarter of 2022, Oklahoma was rated the second cheapest of all fifty states for the cost of living with an average index of 84.8.
The average cost of living in Oklahoma in 2021 was $34,533 per year. Here is what the typical Oklahoman spent their income on last year:
| Category | Average Annual Per-Capita Cost |
| Housing and Utilities | $6,152 |
| Health Care | $6,121 |
| Food and Beverages (non-restaurant) | $2,645 |
| Gas and Energy Goods | $978 |
| All Other Personal Expenditures | $18,637 |
It’s important to note that as in any state, the cost of living in metropolitan cities can drastically increase from life in a rural county. But luckily for those who want to live in the state’s capital, Oklahoma City, it is actually the third-lowest city for cost of living in Oklahoma with a cost index of 85.4!
The cheapest place to live in Oklahoma is actually Muskogee, located an hour outside the northeastern city of Tulsa, which has an incredibly low cost of living index of 71.0.
Cost of Living in Texas
For the first quarter of 2022, Texas was rated the sixteenth cheapest of all fifty states for the cost of living with an average index of 92.1. So compared to the fifty United States, Texas is certainly a cheap place to live.
However, for our question of which state is it cheaper to live in, Texas or Oklahoma, Oklahoma is clearly the winner.
However, it’s still important to understand the cost of living in Texas. The average cost to live in Texas is $39,661 per year, and here we have broken down the various categories of life in Texas:
| Category | Average Annual Per-Capita Cost |
| Housing and Utilities | $7,257 |
| Health Care | $5,793 |
| Food and Beverages (non-restaurant) | $3,309 |
| Gas and Energy Goods | $812 |
| All Other Personal Expenditures | $22,490 |
As you can see, while it is certainly more expensive on average to live in Texas, the increase may or may not affect your daily life depending on your income.
Once again, these statistics can and will vary between cities and counties throughout the state. Just to see the difference a city can make, we have the cheapest and most expensive places to live in Texas right here.
Harlingen is the most affordable city in Texas with a cost of living index of cost-of-living index of 77.3 (compared to the national average of 100), whereas the most expensive city is Southlake with an index of 164.3.
Is it Cheaper to Live in Texas or Oklahoma?
So far, we have learned the general cost of living index for each state as well as the most expensive and cheapest cities within them. We have also learned the average cost of living and consumption breakdown, and that’s a lot of information!
In case it’s a little overwhelming, here is a side-by-side comparison of the cost of living in Texas and Oklahoma.
| Category | Texas | Oklahoma |
| Cost of Living Index | 92.1 | 84.8 |
| Average Cost per Year | $39,661 | $34,533 |
| Most Expensive City & Index | Southlake 164.3 | Edmond 96.3 |
| Least Expensive City & Index | Harlingen 77.3 | Muskogee 71.0 |
Of course, it’s up to you whether living in Oklahoma for a far cheaper cost of living is worth it to you, or if the many other factors to consider when deciding where to live steer you towards life in Texas. But the good news is, now you have all the information you need to decide!
Conclusion
So, is it cheaper to live in Texas or Oklahoma? Hopefully, it is now quite clear that it is cheaper to live in Oklahoma, no matter where you choose to live.
While Texas is still considered affordable compared to other states in the US, it will always be more expensive than Oklahoma.
