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 | Tuscaloosa | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,305/mo | $980/mo | 33.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $270,700 | $228,300 | 18.6% higher in A |
| Median household income | $63,985 | $47,257 | 35.4% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 90.5 | 98.7 | 8.3% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 74.6 | 94.8 | 21.3% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 87.0 | 100.5 | 13.5% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.8 | 94.8 | 5.3% higher 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 $75,097 in Tuscaloosa to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Tuscaloosa, AL is about 24.9% cheaper overall than Dallas, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 25% lower in Tuscaloosa than in Dallas. If you earn $80,000 in Dallas, you'd need about $60,078 in Tuscaloosa to keep the same standard of living.