Cost of Living: Austin, TX vs Dallas, TX

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,516/mo in Austin, TX versus $4,516/mo in Dallas, TX. In the model, rent is about 24.12% of gross in Austin, TX versus 20.45% in Dallas, TX, so Dallas, TX tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Austin, TX
$4,516/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Dallas, TX
$4,516/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Austin, TX
24.12%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Dallas, TX
20.45%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Austin, TX and Dallas, TX.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Dallas, TX
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Dallas, TX
  • Lower home prices: Dallas, TX
  • Higher median household income: Austin, TX

Cost of Living Index

Austin, TX: 112.7 (U.S. = 100) · Dallas, TX: 96.8 (U.S. = 100)

Dallas, TX has a lower cost-of-living index than Austin, TX, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Austin, TX: $1,573/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Dallas, TX: $1,333/mo

Median rent in Austin, TX is $240/mo higher than in Dallas, TX.

Median Home Price

Austin, TX: $512,700 · Dallas, TX: $295,300

Median home price in Austin, TX is $217,400 higher than in Dallas, TX.

Median Household Income

Austin, TX: $91,461 · Dallas, TX: $67,760

Austin, TX has a higher median household income than Dallas, TX by $23,701.

Austin, TX overview · Dallas, TX overview · Popular comparisons