City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Austin | Dallas | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,305/mo | 18.7% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $270,700 | 70.5% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $63,985 | 35.3% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 98.7 | 90.5 | 9.0% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 94.8 | 74.6 | 27.0% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 100.5 | 87.0 | 15.6% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.8 | 99.8 | 5.0% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Austin, you'd need $84,250 in Dallas to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Dallas, TX is about 15.7% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 16% lower in Dallas than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $67,400 in Dallas to keep the same standard of living.