Cost of Living in Dallas, TX (2026): What Renters Should Budget

Updated October 2026. Rent figures reflect September 2026 estimates from Apartment List's October report.

According to the Apartment List October 2026 Rent Index, Dallas's median rent is $1,324, down 1.46% from a year earlier. Fort Worth, a short drive down I-30 in the same metro, asks about $12 more overall but less for a one-bedroom or a two-bedroom, so which city is cheaper depends on the size you rent.

A renter living alone in a median one-bedroom should plan on about $1,659 to $1,738 a month for rent, electricity, and groceries, before water, transit, a car, and anything else. Two choices move that total more than anything else, where in the metro you rent and which electricity plan you pick, and both are yours to make. Texas has no state income tax.

Dallas Cost of Living at a Glance

Source for rent rows: Apartment List's October 2026 release; September 2026 rent estimates. Full method and sources are in the appendix.

How to use these numbers: Start with the rent for the unit size you're considering. Add the planning estimates that apply to you, then replace them with listing-specific charges and your expected usage.

What Is the Median Rent in Dallas in 2026?

The Apartment List October 2026 Rent Index shows Dallas medians of $1,209 for a one-bedroom, $1,432 for a two-bedroom, and $1,324 across all apartment sizes.

Apartment List reports median rent, not a simple average. Apartment List's methodology describes it as the rent renters can expect across the whole market, not just what's advertised right now.

Dallas's median rent fell 1.46% over the 12 months through September 2026 and slipped 0.28% in September alone. Compare listings that match your size, neighborhood, and timing before assuming the dip applies to your own rent.

Dallas Rent by Apartment Size

Updated October 2026.

Apartment List Rent Index median rent by apartment size in Dallas.

Source: Apartment List's October 2026 release; September 2026 rent estimates.

Is $1,300 a Fair Rent for a 1 Bedroom in Dallas?

Updated October 26, 2026.

As of October 26, 2026, 55% of Dallas listings on Apartment List with one-bedroom availability have starting asking rents of $1,300 or less. The median starting asking rent across those listings is $1,245. According to the Apartment List October 2026 Rent Index, the median one-bedroom rent in Dallas is $1,209. Apartment List's methodology describes the Rent Index median as the rent renters can expect across the whole market.

As of October 26, 2026, the middle half of Dallas listings on Apartment List with one-bedroom availability have starting asking rents between $1,000 and $1,600.

Source: Apartment List listings, October 26, 2026. Each listing with one-bedroom availability is counted once, using its lowest one-bedroom asking rent. The sample includes 522 Dallas listings.

Check any other price with Rate My Rent.

How Does Dallas Rent Compare With Other Texas Cities?

Renters weighing Dallas most often compare it against Fort Worth, Austin, and Houston, and Fort Worth is the one comparison that reverses by size. Dallas runs about $12 cheaper overall, but its one-bedroom costs $68 more than Fort Worth's and its two-bedroom $115 more.

Source: Apartment List's October 2026 release; September 2026 rent estimates.

An all-sizes median combines different apartment types, so it can't tell you which city is cheaper for the apartment you actually need. Compare the same bedroom count on both sides of DFW before treating Dallas's lower citywide median as savings.

Houston, the city Dallas renters search into and out of most, is also the cheapest of the three at $55 less a month. Dallas is $55 above Houston and within $12 of Austin and Fort Worth on the all-sizes median, so the apartment size you need, the neighborhood, and the commute will matter more than the citywide gap.

If Dallas's median sits above your range, widen your search. Compare listings matching your size in the neighborhoods you want, using the fuller monthly cost, not just the citywide number.

What Income Corresponds to Dallas Rent at the 30% Benchmark?

Using the $1,209 median one-bedroom rent from Apartment List's October 2026 report, the rent-only 30% calculation corresponds to about $48,360 in annual gross income.

Each income figure is the monthly rent multiplied by 12 and divided by 0.30. The shared row assumes an equal split of the two-bedroom median between two renters. Source: Apartment List's October 2026 release; September 2026 rent estimates.

The 30% figure is the share of gross income the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) considers affordable, and HUD counts utilities inside it where this table does not, so add the electricity figure above to get closer to a housing budget. Use gross income here; the Apartment List Cost of Living Calculator asks for take-home pay, so its answer will differ.

Treat these as planning benchmarks, not salary requirements or screening rules. Many renter budgets don't fit beneath 30%: Apartment List research found that 51.8% of U.S. renter households spent more than that on rent in 2024, a national figure rather than a Dallas one. Our guide to the 30% rule and how much to spend on rent walks through when to flex it.

Texas has no state income tax, so a $48,360 salary here isn't reduced by a state wage tax the way the same salary would be in a state that levies one. Texas offsets that with higher property and sales taxes.

How Do You Know if You Can Afford a Dallas Apartment?

Run the same math on the listing's rent rather than the city median. Divide the advertised rent, or your share of a split or a rented room, by 0.30 and multiply by 12 to see the income it implies. Then add the utilities, transit, and other costs that come with your household, ask what rent includes and how any shared bills are divided, and compare that fuller estimate against your income, debts, and savings goals before applying. The Rent Calculator runs it against your actual income, and our guide to finding an apartment in your budget walks through the rest.

What Are the Monthly Costs of Living in Dallas Besides Rent?

Price the costs that apply to you, then confirm which charges the building bills separately. Dallas has real rail and bus service through DART, but coverage thins fast outside downtown, Uptown, and a few corridors. Outside those areas, most renters budget a car as their second-biggest cost after rent, covering parking, insurance, fuel, and the commute, since those vary too much to estimate here.

How Much Does Electricity Cost in Dallas?

Budget around $120 to $150 a month at 1,000 kWh, before taxes, and expect summer to run higher. Dallas is a deregulated market, so you pick the company that sells you power on the state's Power to Choose marketplace, and the rate you choose sets most of the bill. Oncor delivers it and collects about $64 of that total on every plan. When you compare plans, use the average price at 1,000 kWh printed on each one's Electricity Facts Label; it already includes Oncor's charge, and on competitive fixed plans it runs roughly 12 to 15 cents per kilowatt-hour. It's one of the few line items in a Dallas budget where you decide the rate.

Texas summers push that number up fast. Running the AC through July and August can take a 1,000 kWh apartment to 1,500 or 2,000 kWh, where the same plan turns into a $200-plus bill. Ask what heats the apartment, and ask the landlord for a recent summer bill from a similar unit so you're not budgeting off a mild month.

How Much Are Water and Sewer Bills in Dallas?

There is no single renter estimate, because buildings handle water, sewer, and trash differently: some fold them into rent, some bill you directly, and some divide one building bill across units. Ask each landlord which applies, how any shared bill is split, and what similar apartments paid recently. Dallas Water Utilities sets the city rates, but they only land on your bill if the account is in your name.

How Much Is Public Transit in Dallas?

A local monthly DART pass is $126 and covers buses, trains, GoLink, and the Dallas Streetcar. A single ride is a $3.00 three-hour pass, so the monthly pass pays off at around 42 rides; below that, pay per trip. Commuting into Fort Worth or Denton County means a regional pass at $192 a month or $9 a day, as of March 2026, and reduced fares are half price if you qualify.

How Much Should You Budget for Groceries in Dallas?

The national USDA Low-Cost plan puts groceries for one adult at about $330 to $379 a month, as of the May 2026 report. That's a national benchmark for food you cook at home, not a Dallas price, so treat it as a starting point and adjust for your household and how often you eat out.

How Do Solo and Shared Dallas Budgets Compare?

Source: Apartment List's October 2026 release; September 2026 rent estimates. The shared column splits one two-bedroom and one electric bill between two renters and uses the USDA two-adult grocery plan. Water, transit, and other costs are excluded; see the appendix.

Splitting a two-bedroom equally costs about $493 a month less per renter in rent than a one-bedroom on your own, roughly $5,916 a year, and $558 to $622 less once you count the shared power bill. The $223 step from a one-bedroom to a two-bedroom is about 18.4% here, close to the 19.5% typical across the 50 largest U.S. cities (Apartment List, October 2026 report), so the savings come from the split itself rather than from an unusually cheap second bedroom.

What Should You Check Before Applying for a Dallas Apartment?

An application fee is an up-front, usually non-refundable charge for processing your application, separate from the refundable security deposit, so run the numbers before you pay one. The estimate you build from a listing's rent and its charges is specific to that one apartment, not a citywide total, and it is the number that should drive the decision.

Compare Dallas with your current city using the Apartment List Cost of Living Calculator, then browse Dallas apartments to run this check on real listings. For neighborhood picks, see our guide to the cheapest neighborhoods in Dallas.

Appendix: Methodology and Data Sources

Rent figures come from the Apartment List Rent Estimates, October 2026 release, with data as of September 2026, built on the Apartment List Rent Estimate Methodology, a same-unit, repeat-transaction analysis.

Income figures are calculations based on the cited Apartment List rent medians and the 30% rent-to-income benchmark, not measured income data.

Starting asking rent percentiles and shares come from 522 Dallas listings with one-bedroom availability on Apartment List as of October 26, 2026. Each listing is counted once, using its lowest one-bedroom asking rent. The share is the percent of those listings with a starting asking rent at or under $1,300.

The $1,659 to $1,738 monthly planning total combines the median one-bedroom rent with the electricity and grocery estimates from the At-a-Glance table. Electricity is a range because the supply rate is shopped; it assumes 1,000 kWh, a mild month, and sits before taxes, so a summer bill runs higher. The total excludes water, sewer, trash, transit, a car, internet, insurance, parking, and anything discretionary.

Frequently Asked Questions About Dallas Rent and Cost of Living

What Is the Average Rent in Dallas?

Apartment List reports median rent, not a simple average. The one-bedroom median is $1,209 and the two-bedroom median is $1,432, for an all-sizes median of $1,324 as of September 2026.

What Is the Average Rent for a 2 Bedroom Apartment in Dallas, TX?

According to the Apartment List October 2026 Rent Index, the median rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Dallas is $1,432. This is the citywide median and reflects September 2026 rent estimates.

What Is the Average Rent for a 1 Bedroom Apartment in Dallas, TX?

According to the Apartment List October 2026 Rent Index, the median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Dallas is $1,209. This is the citywide median and reflects September 2026 rent estimates.

Is $1,300 a Fair Rent for a 1 Bedroom in Dallas, TX?

As of October 26, 2026, 55% of Dallas listings on Apartment List with one-bedroom availability have starting asking rents of $1,300 or less. That makes $1,300 a typical starting rent within this sample, just above its $1,245 median. According to the Apartment List October 2026 Rent Index, the median one-bedroom rent in Dallas is $1,209.

Is Dallas Affordable for Renters?

It depends on your income and the size you need. Under a rent-only 30% benchmark, a $1,209 one-bedroom lines up with about $48,360 in annual gross income, and a $1,432 two-bedroom with about $57,280. Landlords don't have to follow this benchmark, and it leaves out utilities and other living costs. Dallas's all-sizes median of $1,324 sits below the national median of $1,388 as of September 2026, which makes it more affordable than many large U.S. metros.

Is 30% of Income a Hard Limit for Rent?

Not close. Apartment List research found that 51.8% of U.S. renter households, about 22.2 million, spent more than 30% of income on rent in 2024, and 26.1% were severely cost-burdened, spending more than half their income on housing, based on 2024 ACS data. Those are national figures, not Dallas-specific. Treat 30% as a planning benchmark, not a rule anyone has to hit exactly.

What Salary Do You Need to Rent in Dallas?

There is no single required salary, since landlords set their own approval rules, but using the $1,209 median one-bedroom rent from Apartment List's October 2026 report, the rent-only 30% calculation corresponds to about $48,360 in annual gross income, and the $1,432 two-bedroom to about $57,280.

How Much Are Utilities in Dallas?

It depends on the building and the power plan you choose, since Dallas is deregulated. At 1,000 kWh a typical electric bill runs about $120 to $150 before taxes and can pass $200 in summer, and water, sewer, and trash may be included in rent or billed separately, so confirm what rent covers.

How Do Solo and Shared Dallas Budgets Compare?

Using the medians from the Apartment List October 2026 Rent Index, a two-bedroom costs about $716 per renter if two people split the rent equally, against $1,209 for a one-bedroom on your own, a difference of roughly $493 a month before utilities and fees. That $716 share corresponds to about $28,640 in annual gross income at the rent-only 30% benchmark.

Fort Worth vs Dallas Apartments: Which Is Cheaper to Rent Right Now?

It depends on the size. On the all-sizes median, Dallas ($1,324) sits $12 below Fort Worth ($1,336) in Apartment List's October 2026 report, but Fort Worth is cheaper for both specific sizes, $68 less for a one-bedroom and $115 less for a two-bedroom, because the all-sizes figure blends every apartment type. Compare the size you need and weigh the commute before treating either city as the cheaper option.