FIFA World Cup frenzy has hit Houston, bringing together fans of the game from around the world to cheer for their favorite teams. With demand driving ticket prices skyward, researchers at PropertyShark decided to compare ticket costs to another expensive commodity in Houston — housing.

The real estate company contrasted first-sale and resale ticket prices on sites like the FIFA World Cup 2026 portal, GameTime, SeatGeek, StubHub, TicketData and Vivid, comparing those costs to typical mortgage costs and rents in U.S. host cities. Researchers sourced housing data from Yardi and local MLS databases.

To live in Houston, buyers must fork over $1,679 for a monthly mortgage. Renters pay an average of $1,347 to call the city home.

In comparison, the cheapest seats to the June 23 Portugal-Uzbekistan match were going for $802 as of June 4. That means locals would have to spend half of a month’s mortgage or two weeks of rent to attend. Ticket prices for more premium matches, such as Match 90 on July 4, are even less affordable: The cheapest seats start at $854 — more than half of a typical monthly Houston mortgage or two weeks’ rent.

While tickets to Houston matches fetched exorbitant rates, the gap between housing costs and ticket prices narrowed in other host cities, specifically those with more affordable housing and more expensive games.

In Miami, for example, a ticket to the Colombia versus Portugal match on June 27 runs a minimum of $2,700. That’s just dollars below the city’s typical monthly mortgage payment of $2,731 and average rent of $2,696.

With everything from housing to gas to event tickets costing more, it may be impossible for fans to put a price tag on the joy of attending a once-in-a-lifetime World Cup match hosted in their hometown.