I'm paying $1k p/mo for a 2br ~900 sq ft. one in little saigon, and it's about five minutes from the downtown core. You'll find lots of funky benefits in any city I imagine, but quality of life in San Diego can't be beaten.
Now, that's from someone who: 1. Doesn't commute. Traffic here isn't bad, but there's a few chokepoints. 2. Works odd hours, so I get to take advantage of empty parks with my kids at 2pm in the afternoon. 3. Loves the outdoors, though, I miss deciduous trees. The odd trip an hour away to Palomar mountain & Julian fixes that though :) 4. Rides motorcycles, so, that's part of why I love the weather :)
I've also lived in Chicago, Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, ~12+ years in Florida and the Eastern coast of Canada, in addition to Costa Rica and a few other random places..
Overall? If I were looking to save money I'd be in Florida (Tampa, Orlando, Miami), if I were looking for best quality of life, I'd stay right where I'm at.
I'm still undecided on where I'll be in another year or two, but only for family reasons (two children, proximity to grandparents would be nice).
Rent in Houston is only cheap if you're willing to live in the suburbs and commute 1-3 hours each way every day.