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 | Dallas | El Cajon | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,305/mo | $1,686/mo | 22.6% lower in A |
| Median home value | $270,700 | $593,500 | 54.4% lower in A |
| Median household income | $63,985 | $64,128 | 0.2% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 90.5 | 106.5 | 15.0% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 74.6 | 129.0 | 42.2% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 87.0 | 109.6 | 20.6% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.8 | 110.7 | 9.9% 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 Dallas, you'd need $127,838 in El Cajon to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Dallas, TX is about 21.8% cheaper overall than El Cajon, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 23% lower in Dallas than in El Cajon. If you earn $80,000 in Dallas, you'd need about $102,271 in El Cajon to keep the same standard of living.