Middlesex County, MA vs Hidalgo County, TX: Cost of Living Difference

Is it cheaper?

Hidalgo County, TX is cheaper than Middlesex County, MA.

Moving to Hidalgo County, TX is estimated to save $37,844 per year.

Cheaper cost of living

Cheaper County

Hidalgo County, TXSave about $37,844 per year.

Salary needed

$50,000 in Middlesex County, MA is about $25,950 in Hidalgo County, TX.

Biggest drivers

Transport increases by $496 per year. Housing saves $17,368 per year.

Housing: $17,368 lower in Hidalgo County, TX

Taxes: $13,134 lower in Hidalgo County, TX

Childcare: about the same in both counties

Healthcare: $238 lower in Hidalgo County, TX

Food: $1,685 lower in Hidalgo County, TX

Transport: $496 higher in Hidalgo County, TX

Middlesex County, MAHidalgo County, TX
Equivalent salary in Hidalgo County, TX
$25,950
-48.1% lower
Current salary: $50,000
Household: 1 adult · 0 children
Median Income in Middlesex County, MA: $160,640
Median Income in Hidalgo County, TX: $57,989
Living Index in Middlesex County, MA 48.98%
Living Index in Hidalgo County, TX 70.42%

This estimate matches your purchasing power (equivalent salary) when moving from Middlesex County, MA to Hidalgo County, TX.

* Living index is estimated as (estimated total cost / area median income) * 100. A living index above 100% means modeled costs exceed median income.

Cost of Living Breakdown by Category

Summary

Moving from Middlesex County, MA to Hidalgo County, TX is estimated to save $37,844 per year. A $50,000 salary in Middlesex County, MA would have similar purchasing power to about $25,950 in Hidalgo County, TX. The largest savings come from housing and taxes.

This is a 48.1% decrease in modeled annual costs. Housing is $17,368 per year lower (64.6%); Taxes is $13,134 per year lower (68.15%).

Below we break down the annual categories behind the difference using Economic Policy Institute 2026 Family Budget data.

What changed the most?

The following cards show the annual category differences that most affect the move to Hidalgo County, TX.

Biggest Cost
Largest annual cost increase when moving to Hidalgo County, TX
Annual Increase:

$496 per year

TRANSPORT has the largest annual increase when moving to Hidalgo County, TX.

Biggest Savings
Largest annual savings when moving to Hidalgo County, TX
Annual Savings:

$17,368 per year

HOUSING has the largest annual savings when moving to Hidalgo County, TX.

Breakdown of price percentages per category.

Numbers are average costs per section.

CategoryDifference
Housing-64.60% lower
Food-33.34% lower
Transport3.94% higher
Healthcare-4.80% lower
Other Costs-59.65% lower
Childcare0.00% higher
Taxes-68.15% lower

In Hidalgo County, TX, modeled annual costs are $40,837 compared with $78,681 in Middlesex County, MA.

Overall, annual costs are lower in Hidalgo County, TX. The category breakdown above shows where the move creates the most room in the budget.

In this case Hidalgo County, TX and Middlesex County, MA are both metropolitan locations.

Use our map to visually compare multiple counties at once.

View county cost breakdowns

See county rankings

Compare nearby counties

How WatchPennies calculates salary needed
Middlesex, MA vs Hidalgo, TX Cost Difference