I lived in Houston for 4 years. It's a great place and relatively cheap for a metro. Again, the cost depends on which area of Houston you live (Houston is Big! Like REALLY BIG.), but it's relatively affordable compared to North East. I used to live close to the downtown in the Houston Medical Center (near Rice, UH, NRG Stadium), for a good two bedroom (2 bth) condo , I was paying 1000 in rent. I have had relatives move to Houston from Virginia so they could afford to buy a house.