Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dallas, TX and Wilmington, NC

For one person, living costs are similar in Dallas, TX and in Wilmington, NC: $2,898 and $2,876 a month, rent and utilities included.

139

Cost of Living Index in Dallas, TX
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Dallas, TX Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Wilmington, NC
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Wilmington, NC Living Index

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Dallas, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,898

/mo nomad

Wilmington, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,876

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dallas, TX and in Wilmington, NC

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dallas, TX and in Wilmington, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,898 per month in Dallas, TX vs $2,876 in Wilmington, NC, rent included.

Dallas, TX $2,898
Wilmington, NC $2,876

A couple spends around $4,315 per month in Dallas, TX vs $4,129 in Wilmington, NC, rent included.

Dallas, TX $4,315
Wilmington, NC $4,129

A family of three spends $5,733 per month in Dallas, TX vs $5,382 in Wilmington, NC, rent included.

Dallas, TX $5,733
Wilmington, NC $5,382

Dallas, TX and Wilmington, NC have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Dallas, TX and Wilmington, NC sit above the global median – Dallas, TX by 113%, Wilmington, NC by 111%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.61 $20.61

$15.08 $15.08

36.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.3 $91.3

$80.1 $80.1

14.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.09 $12.09

$10.80 $10.80

11.94%

Cappuccino

$6.31 $6.31

$5.55 $5.55

13.69%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 $3.24

$2.53 $2.53

28.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.80 $7.80

$5.14 $5.14

51.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.79 $7.79

$6.95 $6.95

12.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.99 $0.99

3.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 $3.21

$4.01 $4.01

-19.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$5.84 $5.84

-17.29%

Eggs

$4.69 $4.69

$5.34 $5.34

-12.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.97 $12.97

$11.38 $11.38

13.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.32 $11.32

$14.42 $14.42

-21.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.41 $18.41

$25.47 $25.47

-27.72%

Apples (1kg)

$5.97 $5.97

$6.38 $6.38

-6.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.77 $1.77

-12.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.00 $5.00

$6.91 $6.91

-27.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$6.19 $6.19

-31.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$4.09 $4.09

-44.25%

Onion (1kg)

$3.19 $3.19

$5.94 $5.94

-46.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.40 $2.40

-15.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.14 $3.14

-6.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.16 $10.16

$8.64 $8.64

17.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.24 $16.24

$14.70 $14.70

10.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.02 $2.02

75.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 $4.59

$6.00 $6.00

-23.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.03 $2.03

44.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$126 $126

$79.4 $79.4

59.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$7.03 $7.03

-56.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.89 $1.89

-5.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.84 $23.84

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.03 $1.03

-0.97%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.6K $36.6K

$27.1K $27.1K

35.07%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$28.0K $28.0K

$26.3K $26.3K

6.49%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$198 $198

$286 $286

-30.87%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$58.7 $58.7

$55.8 $55.8

5.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.1 $65.1

$76.2 $76.2

-14.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 $57.3

$56.1 $56.1

2.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.77 $20.77

$4.08 $4.08

409.07%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 $15.09

$14.89 $14.89

1.34%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,028 $2,028

$1,339 $1,339

51.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K $24.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.7 $64.7

$70.9 $70.9

-8.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.46 $49.46

$41.96 $41.96

17.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$99.6 $99.6

22.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 $137

$68.8 $68.8

98.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,817 $1,817

$1,640 $1,640

10.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,389 $1,389

$1,361 $1,361

2.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,084 $4,084

$2,819 $2,819

44.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,342 $2,342

$2,116 $2,116

10.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,624 $8,624

$3,291 $3,291

162.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,953 $2,953

$2,529 $2,529

16.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,493 $4,493

$3,936 $3,936

14.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.57

4.41%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Dallas, TX: October 25, 2026

Last update for Wilmington, NC: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Dallas, TX

$1.4K 48%

Wilmington, NC

$1.4K 47.3% 2.1% $29

Groceries & Markets

Dallas, TX

$427 14.8%

Wilmington, NC

$501 17.4% 17.3% $74

Eating Out

Dallas, TX

$354 12.2%

Wilmington, NC

$279 9.7% 21.2% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dallas, TX

$322 11.1%

Wilmington, NC

$418 14.6% 30% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Dallas, TX

$168 5.8%

Wilmington, NC

$127 4.4% 24.6% $41

Getting Around

Dallas, TX

$150 5.2%

Wilmington, NC

$104 3.6% 30.7% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Dallas, TX

$87 3%

Wilmington, NC

$86 3% 1.9% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,817 in Dallas, TX versus $1,640 in Wilmington, NC. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 14% higher in Dallas, TX. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Dallas, TX versus $80 in Wilmington, NC. Groceries tell a different story – $427 in Dallas, TX vs $501 in Wilmington, NC – so Dallas, TX wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Dallas, TX

🇺🇸 Wilmington, NC

🕒 Local time

17:28 5:28 PM

18:28 6:28 PM

1 h ahead of Dallas, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,302,638

72,826

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Dallas, TX Wilmington, NC 1,750 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dallas, TX
Wilmington, NC

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Dallas, TX vs Wilmington, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,347 per month in Dallas, TX and $4,313 in Wilmington, NC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wilmington, NC, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,640 there versus $1,817 in Dallas, TX.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Dallas, TX and $80 in Wilmington, NC. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 37% less in Wilmington, NC. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Families tend to lean toward Wilmington, NC – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Wilmington, NC. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dallas, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.