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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Dallas stands out at 93 on the index, with rent of $1,591/month — worth pausing on — and household income of $67,760. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
The numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Dallas stands out at 93 on the index, with rent of $1,591/month — worth pausing on — and household income of $67,760. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
Dive into Dallas's numbers: cost index 93 (18 points below national average), rent $1,591/month, income $67,760, and a home price of $305,523. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 93, while Healthcare runs 99. As a major city with 1,302,868 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
Rankings quantify the landscape. But the decision to move is personal. Use the spotlights above to zero in on 2-3 finalists, then run your actual salary through the calculator. The question isn't just "where is it cheapest?" — it's "where does my specific income buy the life I want?" Start here. Dig deeper on the linked city pages.
#1 Ranked: Dallas, TX — cost index 93, rent $1,591/mo, income $67,760
2 of 2 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
1,302,868 residents · Texas
Dive into Dallas's numbers: cost index 93 (18 points below national average), rent $1,591/month, income $67,760, and a home price of $305,523. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 93, while Healthcare runs 99. As a major city with 1,302,868 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
678,958 residents · Texas
Dive into El Paso's numbers: cost index 84 (27 points below national average), rent $1,441/month, income $58,734, and a home price of $231,886. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 84, while Healthcare runs 97. As a major city with 678,958 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Dallas (ranked #1) has a cost index of 93 and rent of $1,591/mo, while El Paso (ranked #2) has a cost index of 84 and rent of $1,441/mo — a 9-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Dallas is $1,591/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $304 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Dallas is $305,523, which is 4.5× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. The national median home price is $467,370.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.