Dallas, TX vs Austin, TX: cost of living compared
Price levels from BEA (2024); rent and home values from Zillow (September 2026).
The short answer
- Overall, Austin, TX is 4.9% less expensive than Dallas, TX (BEA, 2024).
- To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Dallas works out to about $71,300 in Austin, before taxes.
- Most of the difference is everyday costs rather than housing: goods are 8.8% lower and other services 3.4% lower in Austin, while housing is 2.1% higher.
- Typical asking rent is $1,603 a month in Austin and $1,659 in Dallas, $672 a year less in Austin (Zillow, September 2026).
- A typical home is valued at about $414,000 in Austin and $358,000 in Dallas.
- The gap is about where it was in 2019 (3.9%).
derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) and Zillow data. Based on an average household's spending; taxes not included. How we calculate.
Category by category
Both cities against the US average (100). The gap in each row is what matters for a move.
Everyday costs, not housing, drive the gap between Dallas and Austin
Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.
- Dallas, TX
- Austin, TX
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Dallas, TX | Austin, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 103.1 | 98.1 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 93.8 |
| Housing (rents) | 117.9 | 120.4 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 82.0 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 96.2 |
| Category | Dallas | Austin | Austin vs Dallas |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 103.1 | 98.1 | −4.9% |
| Goods | 102.8 | 93.8 | −8.8% |
| Housing (rents) | 117.9 | 120.4 | +2.1% |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 82.0 | −9.6% |
| Other services | 99.7 | 96.2 | −3.4% |
| Typical asking rent | $1,659 | $1,603 | −3.4% |
| Typical home value | $358,000 | $414,000 | +15.6% |
| Salary to match $75,000 in Dallas | $75,000 | $71,300 | −4.9% |
Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Rent and home values: Data Provided by Zillow Group, September 2026.
How the gap has changed since 2008
The price gap between Dallas and Austin has widened since 2008: 1.8 points then, 5.0 now
Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.
- Dallas, TX
- Austin, TX
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Dallas, TX | Austin, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 101.4 | 99.6 |
| 2009 | 101.5 | 98.9 |
| 2010 | 101.3 | 99.8 |
| 2011 | 100.2 | 100.3 |
| 2012 | 100.8 | 100.9 |
| 2013 | 101.0 | 100.8 |
| 2014 | 100.2 | 101.4 |
| 2015 | 99.1 | 101.6 |
| 2016 | 98.0 | 102.6 |
| 2017 | 99.7 | 101.8 |
| 2018 | 101.1 | 99.0 |
| 2019 | 103.4 | 99.4 |
| 2020 | 104.5 | 101.1 |
| 2021 | 104.0 | 100.0 |
| 2022 | 103.4 | 98.8 |
| 2023 | 102.5 | 98.3 |
| 2024 | 103.1 | 98.1 |
Goods
- Dallas, TX
- Austin, TX
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Dallas, TX | Austin, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 99.6 | 97.1 |
| 2009 | 97.2 | 95.2 |
| 2010 | 99.1 | 96.6 |
| 2011 | 96.1 | 96.9 |
| 2012 | 99.5 | 97.3 |
| 2013 | 99.5 | 97.3 |
| 2014 | 97.8 | 97.6 |
| 2015 | 98.0 | 97.0 |
| 2016 | 102.8 | 97.2 |
| 2017 | 99.6 | 97.1 |
| 2018 | 99.3 | 94.4 |
| 2019 | 100.0 | 96.2 |
| 2020 | 102.5 | 96.2 |
| 2021 | 102.9 | 96.2 |
| 2022 | 102.1 | 93.7 |
| 2023 | 103.6 | 92.9 |
| 2024 | 102.8 | 93.8 |
Housing (rents)
- Dallas, TX
- Austin, TX
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Dallas, TX | Austin, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 103.3 | 110.0 |
| 2009 | 102.4 | 111.7 |
| 2010 | 101.9 | 108.1 |
| 2011 | 104.1 | 110.3 |
| 2012 | 103.6 | 115.2 |
| 2013 | 103.8 | 114.7 |
| 2014 | 105.4 | 117.7 |
| 2015 | 106.1 | 119.2 |
| 2016 | 108.7 | 122.7 |
| 2017 | 110.8 | 124.9 |
| 2018 | 111.8 | 121.9 |
| 2019 | 112.6 | 121.5 |
| 2020 | 114.5 | 124.5 |
| 2021 | 114.3 | 122.5 |
| 2022 | 116.3 | 126.3 |
| 2023 | 117.8 | 126.4 |
| 2024 | 117.9 | 120.4 |
Utilities
- Dallas, TX
- Austin, TX
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Dallas, TX | Austin, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 108.7 | 99.7 |
| 2009 | 105.0 | 94.4 |
| 2010 | 108.9 | 95.0 |
| 2011 | 103.6 | 90.2 |
| 2012 | 100.0 | 88.5 |
| 2013 | 108.6 | 89.9 |
| 2014 | 98.1 | 93.3 |
| 2015 | 97.2 | 90.8 |
| 2016 | 99.5 | 86.8 |
| 2017 | 97.5 | 82.7 |
| 2018 | 98.6 | 84.1 |
| 2019 | 88.1 | 85.7 |
| 2020 | 82.6 | 85.8 |
| 2021 | 85.1 | 85.8 |
| 2022 | 88.1 | 87.4 |
| 2023 | 96.5 | 89.2 |
| 2024 | 90.7 | 82.0 |
Other services
- Dallas, TX
- Austin, TX
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Dallas, TX | Austin, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 101.6 | 98.5 |
| 2009 | 104.4 | 98.1 |
| 2010 | 102.3 | 100.0 |
| 2011 | 102.2 | 100.8 |
| 2012 | 101.0 | 100.7 |
| 2013 | 101.0 | 100.3 |
| 2014 | 100.8 | 100.3 |
| 2015 | 98.1 | 101.0 |
| 2016 | 92.2 | 102.3 |
| 2017 | 96.9 | 100.5 |
| 2018 | 99.8 | 97.7 |
| 2019 | 104.2 | 96.9 |
| 2020 | 104.5 | 99.3 |
| 2021 | 103.0 | 98.1 |
| 2022 | 101.8 | 96.7 |
| 2023 | 97.7 | 95.8 |
| 2024 | 99.7 | 96.2 |
Rent and home values
Typical asking rent: $1,603 in Austin vs $1,659 in Dallas
Typical asking rent for a new lease, dollars per month. Quarterly.
- Dallas, TX
- Austin, TX
- United States
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (typical asking rent, all homes, smoothed), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Dallas, TX | Austin, TX | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $1,064 | $1,179 | $1,145 |
| Jun 2015 | $1,093 | $1,204 | $1,170 |
| Sep 2015 | $1,103 | $1,215 | $1,181 |
| Dec 2015 | $1,105 | $1,212 | $1,182 |
| Mar 2016 | $1,121 | $1,223 | $1,195 |
| Jun 2016 | $1,147 | $1,251 | $1,219 |
| Sep 2016 | $1,153 | $1,249 | $1,225 |
| Dec 2016 | $1,155 | $1,236 | $1,222 |
| Mar 2017 | $1,178 | $1,266 | $1,245 |
| Jun 2017 | $1,205 | $1,285 | $1,270 |
| Sep 2017 | $1,210 | $1,277 | $1,276 |
| Dec 2017 | $1,210 | $1,270 | $1,275 |
| Mar 2018 | $1,227 | $1,286 | $1,296 |
| Jun 2018 | $1,248 | $1,312 | $1,320 |
| Sep 2018 | $1,248 | $1,322 | $1,327 |
| Dec 2018 | $1,256 | $1,327 | $1,329 |
| Mar 2019 | $1,271 | $1,348 | $1,349 |
| Jun 2019 | $1,295 | $1,370 | $1,376 |
| Sep 2019 | $1,298 | $1,386 | $1,383 |
| Dec 2019 | $1,294 | $1,381 | $1,381 |
| Mar 2020 | $1,309 | $1,401 | $1,402 |
| Jun 2020 | $1,312 | $1,383 | $1,406 |
| Sep 2020 | $1,321 | $1,383 | $1,410 |
| Dec 2020 | $1,327 | $1,374 | $1,407 |
| Mar 2021 | $1,361 | $1,425 | $1,443 |
| Jun 2021 | $1,431 | $1,533 | $1,512 |
| Sep 2021 | $1,514 | $1,660 | $1,590 |
| Dec 2021 | $1,546 | $1,671 | $1,622 |
| Mar 2022 | $1,582 | $1,705 | $1,661 |
| Jun 2022 | $1,647 | $1,774 | $1,721 |
| Sep 2022 | $1,667 | $1,788 | $1,748 |
| Dec 2022 | $1,637 | $1,730 | $1,735 |
| Mar 2023 | $1,650 | $1,744 | $1,757 |
| Jun 2023 | $1,663 | $1,748 | $1,785 |
| Sep 2023 | $1,665 | $1,717 | $1,797 |
| Dec 2023 | $1,641 | $1,683 | $1,786 |
| Mar 2024 | $1,640 | $1,671 | $1,807 |
| Jun 2024 | $1,657 | $1,682 | $1,837 |
| Sep 2024 | $1,653 | $1,650 | $1,845 |
| Dec 2024 | $1,632 | $1,610 | $1,836 |
| Mar 2025 | $1,646 | $1,617 | $1,860 |
| Jun 2025 | $1,660 | $1,626 | $1,880 |
| Sep 2025 | $1,647 | $1,592 | $1,881 |
| Dec 2025 | $1,632 | $1,563 | $1,873 |
| Mar 2026 | $1,642 | $1,577 | $1,894 |
| Jun 2026 | $1,658 | $1,598 | $1,921 |
| Sep 2026 | $1,659 | $1,603 | $1,932 |
Typical home value: $414,000 in Austin vs $358,000 in Dallas
Typical home value, dollars. Quarterly.
- Dallas, TX
- Austin, TX
- United States
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (typical home value, middle tier, smoothed, seasonally adjusted), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Dallas, TX | Austin, TX | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $180K | $258K | $189K |
| Jun 2015 | $185K | $263K | $192K |
| Sep 2015 | $190K | $268K | $195K |
| Dec 2015 | $196K | $274K | $199K |
| Mar 2016 | $202K | $279K | $202K |
| Jun 2016 | $208K | $284K | $204K |
| Sep 2016 | $212K | $287K | $206K |
| Dec 2016 | $218K | $291K | $209K |
| Mar 2017 | $224K | $295K | $213K |
| Jun 2017 | $230K | $298K | $216K |
| Sep 2017 | $234K | $299K | $219K |
| Dec 2017 | $239K | $303K | $223K |
| Mar 2018 | $245K | $306K | $227K |
| Jun 2018 | $249K | $308K | $230K |
| Sep 2018 | $252K | $310K | $234K |
| Dec 2018 | $253K | $313K | $236K |
| Mar 2019 | $256K | $314K | $239K |
| Jun 2019 | $257K | $316K | $242K |
| Sep 2019 | $258K | $319K | $244K |
| Dec 2019 | $260K | $325K | $247K |
| Mar 2020 | $265K | $333K | $252K |
| Jun 2020 | $266K | $337K | $255K |
| Sep 2020 | $270K | $346K | $260K |
| Dec 2020 | $280K | $365K | $271K |
| Mar 2021 | $293K | $394K | $282K |
| Jun 2021 | $310K | $454K | $296K |
| Sep 2021 | $323K | $483K | $306K |
| Dec 2021 | $337K | $494K | $314K |
| Mar 2022 | $362K | $530K | $330K |
| Jun 2022 | $387K | $565K | $346K |
| Sep 2022 | $390K | $545K | $348K |
| Dec 2022 | $384K | $516K | $345K |
| Mar 2023 | $378K | $494K | $343K |
| Jun 2023 | $378K | $486K | $347K |
| Sep 2023 | $381K | $482K | $352K |
| Dec 2023 | $380K | $473K | $354K |
| Mar 2024 | $382K | $468K | $357K |
| Jun 2024 | $382K | $465K | $361K |
| Sep 2024 | $381K | $460K | $361K |
| Dec 2024 | $380K | $457K | $363K |
| Mar 2025 | $377K | $450K | $364K |
| Jun 2025 | $370K | $440K | $362K |
| Sep 2025 | $366K | $433K | $362K |
| Dec 2025 | $365K | $429K | $364K |
| Mar 2026 | $363K | $423K | $366K |
| Jun 2026 | $359K | $415K | $365K |
| Sep 2026 | $358K | $414K | $366K |
More about each city
Related comparisons
What this comparison leaves out
- Taxes. State and local income, sales and property taxes can change the result a lot, especially between states.
- Neighborhoods. These are metro-wide averages; a city center and its outer suburbs can differ by more than two metros do.
- Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider above if rent is a bigger share of your budget.
- Timing. BEA price levels are for 2024; Zillow figures are monthly and newer.