Houston finances

Hi there,

I've been approached for a job in the Pasadena area of Houston. As I grew up and live in North West Europe, I was wondering how finances add up and any visa requirements that would be relevant for my wife.

We would be with the 2 of us, whereas my wife would be keen to find a job once we moved over. So starting off with a single income.

Are there special visa requirements to consider for this?

The offer is about 160,000-170,000 USD pa. Although this seems quite nice, I was wondering about taxes in Houston and cost of living. I would prefer to live within 15 minutes drive from work.

What are good areas to live in? What is the average rental cost per month for a place with garden? I plan to be in the role for 3-5 years, would purchasing and selling a property be useful? (Here the cost of moving house are about 8% of the value based on transfer tax, notary, ra agent, so typically for such time renting is easier/same cost). What income taxes are deducted? How high are the other taxes (car, road, housing, garbage, water, power, sewer, etc) when relevant for rent How much a 2 person household on average spend on normal cost, excluding rent and tax? What's the deal with health care insurance?

Do you have any other cost of living aspects that I have not mentioned that I should consider?