How Much Does It Cost to Live in Dallas? The 2026 Rent and Affordability Guide

Updated August 2026. Rent figures reflect Apartment List data as of July 2026.

Dallas's median rent is $1,329 as of July 2026, down 1.54% from a year earlier, according to the Apartment List Rent Index. That's the anchor figure if you're weighing a move, and it sits just below what Fort Worth asks a short drive down I-30 across the same metro. Which city actually wins depends on the size you rent, though, and that's the pattern here: a lot of what you pay in Dallas isn't set by the city. It's set by you.

Add groceries and a DART pass to a median apartment, and a renter living alone plans well beyond that advertised price. The number that swings your Dallas budget the most might not be your rent at all. It's which side of the metro you pick, which power plan you shop for, and the cut of your paycheck the state never takes.

Dallas Cost of Living at a Glance

Rent anchors this guide, but it's only part of the monthly cost. Use these figures to set a starting range, then check what each building actually charges.

What Is the Median Rent in Dallas in 2026?

Apartment List Rent Index data for July 2026 show Dallas medians of $1,214 for a one-bedroom, $1,437 for a two-bedroom, and $1,329 across all apartment sizes.

The median is the market midpoint. 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.

Choose your apartment size before comparing listings, then check current options against that size's median in the neighborhoods you're considering.

Dallas's median rent fell 1.54% year over year and held flat month over month. Compare listings that match your size, neighborhood, and timing before assuming the dip applies to your own rent.

How Does Dallas Rent Compare With Other Texas Metros?

Renters weighing Dallas most often compare it against Fort Worth, Austin, and Houston, and Fort Worth is the one comparison that actually reverses by size. Dallas runs about $11 cheaper overall, but its one-bedroom costs $70 more than Fort Worth's, and its two-bedroom costs $117 more, per the same July 2026 Apartment List data.

All figures are Apartment List medians as of July 2026.

That inversion is the useful Dallas story. 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.

Across the Texas Triangle, Apartment List's July 2026 medians place Dallas only $7 above Austin and $11 below Fort Worth, while Houston runs $65 lower. Houston is also the city Dallas renters search into and out of most. Dallas is therefore neither the obvious bargain nor the expensive outlier. Its position depends more on apartment size, neighborhood, and commute than the regional headline numbers suggest.

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?

When rent equals the 30% of gross income the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) considers affordable, a median one-bedroom lines up with about $48,560 in annual gross income, and a median two-bedroom with about $57,480. Read these as rent-only planning figures, not a salary you have to earn.

Quick math: What annual income corresponds to Dallas's $1,214 median one-bedroom rent?

$1,214 × 12 ÷ 0.30 = $48,560 in annual gross income

To test another listing, replace $1,214 with its advertised monthly rent and run the same math.

This calculation uses gross income, while the Apartment List Cost of Living Calculator asks for after-tax income and will produce a different estimate.

One thing that works in your favor: Texas has no state income tax, so your paycheck isn't docked before rent and other bills come out of it. Texas offsets that with higher property and sales taxes instead, so it isn't a one-way win. Pair that with a power bill you set the rate on, and Dallas leaves more of the math in your hands than a lot of cities do.

Treat 30% as a planning benchmark, not a requirement. Many renter budgets don't fit neatly beneath it, and our guide to the 30% rule and how much to spend on rent walks through when to flex it.

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. That is national 2024 data, not a Dallas figure.

Use your own number to see how much a given rent leaves for utilities, debt, savings, childcare, and everyday costs, then decide what fits.

• The same math works for a rented room, not just a full listing.
• If you'll share rent, use your own income and share, and check how the landlord handles roommates on an application.
• To run your own numbers, try the Rent Calculator.

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

Use the rent on the listing, not the city median. Two listings with the same advertised rent can leave you with different monthly bills. For a step-by-step approach, see how to find an apartment in your budget.

1. Take the advertised rent on the actual listing for the size you want.
2. Divide that rent by 0.30, then multiply by 12. Compare the result to your income, or your share if splitting.
3. Add utilities, transit, and any other costs that come with your household.
4. Ask what rent includes and how they split any shared bills.
5. Compare that fuller estimate against your income, debts, and savings goals before applying.

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

Your additional costs depend on the building, your transportation, and your household. Price the ones 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 for electricity at 1,000 kWh, before taxes, and expect it to run higher in summer. Oncor delivers the power to your apartment and charges about $64 of that no matter who you buy from: a $4.06 base fee plus 6.0295 cents per kilowatt-hour. The rest comes from whichever company sells you the actual electricity, which you get to shop for on the state's Power to Choose marketplace. Competitive plans there run roughly 12 to 15 cents per kilowatt-hour, in line with the EIA's own numbers for Texas. It's one of the few line items in a Dallas budget where you're the one who decides the rate.

Texas summers push that number up fast. Running the AC through July and August can push 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 bill from a similar apartment 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 charge for water, sewer, and trash in different ways. Ask each landlord:

• Which charges does rent already include?
• Does the landlord bill you directly, or split it some other way?
• What did similar apartments pay recently?

Dallas Water Utilities sets the underlying city rates, and it bills sewer on your winter-month water average rather than live usage. Those rates only apply if your apartment has its own city account in your name.

How Much Is Public Transit in Dallas?

Plan on about $126 a month for unlimited local rides on DART, which covers buses, trains, GoLink, and the Dallas Streetcar. Ride less than a few times a week? A single $3.00 pass usually costs less. The math flips around 42 rides a month, so count your typical trips. Commuting into Fort Worth or Denton County instead? A regional monthly pass runs $192, or $9 for just a day, as of March 2026. If you qualify for a reduced fare, you pay half. Check before you buy.

How Much Should You Budget for Groceries in Dallas?

The national USDA Low-Cost plan estimates $330 to $379 monthly for one adult aged 20 to 50. Adjust it for your household size and ages, then compare with your current spending. These are national estimates for groceries you cook at home, not Dallas-specific prices. That range already builds in the 20% bump USDA adds for eating solo.

What Should You Check Before Applying for a Dallas Apartment?

Before paying an application fee, know what it actually is: an up-front, usually non-refundable charge a landlord collects to process your application and run a background check. It's separate from a refundable security deposit or a one-time move-in fee.

This is a monthly estimate for a specific listing, not a citywide total, and your listing-specific number is what 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-by-neighborhood picks, see our guide to the cheapest neighborhoods in Dallas rather than the citywide figures here.

Appendix: Methodology and Data Sources

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

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 $1,214 and the two-bedroom median is $1,437, for an all-sizes median of $1,329 as of July 2026.

Is Dallas Affordable for Renters?

It depends on your income and the size you need. Under a rent-only 30% benchmark, a $1,214 one-bedroom lines up with about $48,560 in annual gross income, and a $1,437 two-bedroom with about $57,480. Landlords don't have to follow this benchmark, and it leaves out utilities and other living costs. Dallas's all-sizes median of $1,329 sits below the national median of $1,388 as of July 2026, which makes it more affordable than many large U.S. metros.

How Much Rent Can I Afford in Dallas?

Start from a listing's advertised rent, not the city median. Divide it by 0.30, then multiply by 12 to see the annual gross income where that rent equals 30%. A $1,214 one-bedroom lines up with about $48,560. This is a rent-only planning figure, so leave room for utilities and other costs your budget carries.

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, based on national data. That's what housing researchers call being cost-burdened, and it's common, but still worth taking seriously since it usually means less room for savings and emergencies. Treat 30% as a planning benchmark, not a rule anyone has to hit exactly. Run it against Dallas's own $1,214 one-bedroom median instead of the national figure to see where you land.

What Salary Do You Need to Rent in Dallas?

Dallas has no single required renter salary. At the rent-only 30% benchmark, the one-bedroom corresponds to $48,560 in annual gross income and the two-bedroom to $57,480. Landlords set their own approval rules, and whatever you pay separately still affects what works for your budget.

How Much Are Utilities in Dallas?

It varies by building and by the power plan you pick, since Dallas is deregulated. Oncor's delivery charge runs about $64 a month at 1,000 kWh and is the same on every plan. The rate you pick adds the rest, for a typical total bill around $120 to $150 before taxes. That's a mild-month figure, though. Summer AC use can push a Dallas apartment to 1,500 or 2,000 kWh and a bill over $200, so budget for the peak. Water, sewer, and trash may be included in rent or billed separately, so confirm what rent covers.

Is a Monthly DART Pass Worth It?

Buy the local monthly DART pass if you expect more than about 42 paid rides a month. Below that, paying per trip usually costs less. If you travel into Fort Worth or Denton County, compare the $192.00 regional monthly pass instead, and check for a half-price reduced fare.

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

It depends on the size you're renting. Dallas's citywide all-sizes median is $1,329 as of July 2026, and Fort Worth's is $1,340, so Fort Worth sits about $11 a month higher across all sizes. The one-bedroom picture flips, though: a Dallas one-bedroom runs $1,214 against Fort Worth's $1,144, about $70 more for the same size. The two-bedroom gap is even wider: Dallas runs $1,437 against Fort Worth's $1,320, about $117 more. That's not as contradictory as it sounds. Fort Worth is cheaper for both specific sizes, but a citywide "all sizes" number blends every apartment type into one figure, and Dallas's mix happens to average out lower. Compare these as city figures, since a metro-level number would collapse the two cities into one figure that describes neither. Check the by-size medians and current listings in each city, and weigh the commute, before you treat either as the cheaper option. Which side of the metro fits you is one more number you get to run yourself.