

Dallas vs Houston
$121/mo more in Houston
DallasHoustonAbout 231 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Houston leaves you more
- No state income tax
- Property tax 1.75%
Same paycheck, two cities. $3,160/mo in Houston. $3,039/mo in Dallas. +$1,452 a year.
Dallas
$3,039
left each month
Houston
$3,160
+$121 vs Dallas
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 7,455 households moved Dallas → Houston (avg AGI $79,596). 8,093 went the other way. The whole move →
+$121 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Dallas | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,958 | $7,958 | $0 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,661 | $1,661 | $0 |
| Take-home pay | $6,298 | $6,298 | $0 |
| Rent | $1,258 | $1,188 | −$70 |
| Getting around | $580 | $572 | −$8 |
| Groceries | $392 | $380 | −$12 |
| Healthcare | $441 | $428 | −$13 |
| Utilities | $245 | $238 | −$7 |
| Everything else | $343 | $333 | −$10 |
| Left over | $3,039 | $3,160 | +$121 |
Salary to match Dallas
$93,500
Gross pay in Houston that leaves the same amount as $95,500 in Dallas.
Tax difference
$0
A year, in state and local income tax. Texas has no wage income tax.
More about Houston
Dallas, TX in full
No income tax, endless new construction, and a 1.5% property tax bill.
Houston, TX in full
The cheapest housing of any top-10 metro, paid for in property tax and humidity.
The other way
Start in Houston.
Houston → Dallas →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Houston than Dallas?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Houston leaves about $121 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,258 in Dallas and $1,188 in Houston.
Does Houston have state income tax?
Houston is in Texas, which has no state income tax.
What changes if you move from Dallas to Houston?
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 Dallas and Houston 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.