

Ames vs Dallas
$628/mo more in Dallas
AmesDallasAbout 660 miles apart, a flight.
- Dallas leaves you more
- No state income tax
- Rent under 30% of pay
Same paycheck, two cities. $3,029/mo in Dallas. $2,401/mo in Ames. +$7,536 a year.
Ames
$2,401
left each month
Dallas
$3,029
+$628 vs Ames
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
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+$628 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Ames | Dallas | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $6,208 | $7,945 | +$1,737 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,332 | $1,657 | +$325 |
| Take-home pay | $4,877 | $6,288 | +$1,412 |
| Rent | $760 | $1,258 | +$498 |
| Getting around | $457 | $580 | +$123 |
| Groceries | $347 | $392 | +$45 |
| Healthcare | $391 | $441 | +$50 |
| Utilities | $217 | $245 | +$28 |
| Everything else | $304 | $343 | +$39 |
| Left over | $2,401 | $3,029 | +$628 |
Salary to match Ames
$84,500
Gross pay in Dallas that leaves the same amount as $74,500 in Ames.
Tax difference
+$2,276
A year, in state and local income tax. Texas has no wage income tax.
More about Dallas
Ames, IA in full
A flat 3.8% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $905 and 207 sunny days; commutes average 19 minutes.
Dallas, TX in full
No income tax, endless new construction, and a 1.5% property tax bill.
The other way
Start in Dallas.
Dallas → Ames →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Dallas than Ames?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Dallas leaves about $628 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $760 in Ames and $1,258 in Dallas.
Does Dallas have state income tax?
Dallas is in Texas, which has no state income tax.
What changes if you move from Ames to Dallas?
The paycheck is taxed in Texas. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Ames and Dallas changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.