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 Centro | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,305/mo | $938/mo | 39.1% higher in A |
| Median home value | $270,700 | $266,500 | 1.6% higher in A |
| Median household income | $63,985 | $54,922 | 16.5% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 99.1 | 104.8 | 5.4% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 147.6 | 41.8% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 95.9 | 101.6 | 5.6% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.7 | 101.4 | 1.7% 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 $89,305 in El Centro to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
El Centro, CA is about 10.7% cheaper overall than Dallas, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 40% lower in El Centro than in Dallas. If you earn $80,000 in Dallas, you'd need about $71,444 in El Centro to keep the same standard of living.