Cost of Living in Dallas, TX (2026)

Dallas's cost of living is 3% above the US average. $100,000 here is worth about $97,003 nationally. Rent, homes and monthly costs.

Dallas has a cost-of-living index of 103 against a US average of 100 — about 3% above average. $100,000 of income here is worth roughly $97,003 at the national average.

What it costs to live in Dallas

MeasureDallasUS average
Cost-of-living index103100
Median rent$1,403/mo-
Median home value$295,300-
Median household income$67,760-
Population1,299,553-

Monthly cost breakdown in Dallas

Estimates use BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey shares scaled by the local cost-of-living index. Housing uses the city’s median rent; the owning column uses a 30-year mortgage at 6.7% with 10% down on the median home.

CategoryRentingOwning
Housing$1,403$1,715
Transport$955$955
Food$751$751
Healthcare$472$472
Other$1,676$1,676
Total$5,257$5,569

Affordability in Dallas

Median rent takes about 24.8% of the median household income in Dallas — comfortably inside the 30% rule of thumb.

The median home costs 4.4x the median household income. Three times income is the traditional comfort line; five times is where affordability usually breaks down.

Highest-paying roles in Dallas

RoleTypical salaryWorth nationally
Marketing Manager$136,000$131,924
Software Developer$129,490$125,609
Data Scientist$108,870$105,607
Physical Therapist$107,030$103,822
Mechanical Engineer$99,490$96,508
Dental Hygienist$93,442$90,641
Registered Nurse$93,300$90,503
Web Developer$93,200$90,406

“Worth nationally” adjusts each salary for Dallas’s cost of living, so you can compare offers between cities on equal terms.

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Frequently asked questions

Dallas has a cost-of-living index of 103 against a US average of 100, so it is about 3% above the national average. In practical terms, $100,000 of income in Dallas has roughly the purchasing power of $97,003 at the national average.

A common benchmark is keeping rent at or under 30% of gross income. At Dallas's median rent of $1,403/month that implies about $56,120 a year before tax. The median household in Dallas earns $67,760.

Renting, a single household spends roughly $5,257 a month in Dallas across housing, transport, food, healthcare and everything else. Buying at the median home price, the estimate is about $5,569 a month including a 30-year mortgage at 6.7% with 10% down.

The median home in Dallas costs $295,300, which is 4.4x the median household income of $67,760. Lenders traditionally treat 3x as comfortable and about 5x as stretched, so Dallas is manageable but tight.