

Dallas vs Indianapolis
$563/mo less in Indianapolis
DallasIndianapolisAbout 770 miles apart, a flight.
- Indianapolis costs you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- Real winters
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,476/mo in Indianapolis. $3,039/mo in Dallas. −$6,756 a year.
Dallas
$3,039
left each month
Indianapolis
$2,476
−$563 vs Dallas
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 269 households moved Dallas → Indianapolis (avg AGI $71,223). 460 went the other way. The whole move →
−$563 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Dallas | Indianapolis | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,958 | $7,412 | −$546 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,661 | $1,868 | +$208 |
| Take-home pay | $6,298 | $5,544 | −$754 |
| Rent | $1,258 | $1,189 | −$69 |
| Getting around | $580 | $545 | −$35 |
| Groceries | $392 | $368 | −$24 |
| Healthcare | $441 | $414 | −$27 |
| Utilities | $245 | $230 | −$15 |
| Everything else | $343 | $322 | −$21 |
| Left over | $3,039 | $2,476 | −$563 |
Salary to match Dallas
$99,500
Gross pay in Indianapolis that leaves the same amount as $95,500 in Dallas.
Tax difference
−$4,435
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 20.9% in Dallas, 25.2% in Indianapolis.
More about Indianapolis
Dallas, TX in full
No income tax, endless new construction, and a 1.5% property tax bill.
Indianapolis, IN in full
Cheap housing, a 3% flat state tax, and a short commute.
The other way
Start in Indianapolis.
Indianapolis → Dallas →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Indianapolis than Dallas?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Indianapolis leaves about $563 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,258 in Dallas and $1,189 in Indianapolis.
Does Indianapolis have state income tax?
Indianapolis is in Indiana, which taxes wage income, plus a local wage tax of 2.02%.
What changes if you move from Dallas to Indianapolis?
The paycheck is taxed in Indiana. 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 Indianapolis 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.