Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Wilmington, NC and in Dallas, TX: $2,783 and $2,908 a month, rent and utilities included.

135

Cost of Living Index in Wilmington, NC
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Wilmington, NC Living Index
141

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

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Wilmington, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,783

/mo nomad

Dallas, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,908

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,783 per month in Wilmington, NC vs $2,908 in Dallas, TX, rent included.

Wilmington, NC $2,783
Dallas, TX $2,908

A couple spends around $4,102 per month in Wilmington, NC vs $4,359 in Dallas, TX, rent included.

Wilmington, NC $4,102
Dallas, TX $4,359

A family of three spends $5,421 per month in Wilmington, NC vs $5,809 in Dallas, TX, rent included.

Wilmington, NC $5,421
Dallas, TX $5,809

Wilmington, NC is about 4% cheaper than Dallas, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Wilmington, NC and Dallas, TX sit above the global median – Wilmington, NC by 106%, Dallas, TX by 115%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.70 $14.70

$20.94 $20.94

-29.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 $78.8

$89.5 $89.5

-12.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 $10.82

$11.94 $11.94

-9.38%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$6.29 $6.29

-14.47%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.11 $3.11

-15.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.36 $2.36

0.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 $5.06

$8.02 $8.02

-36.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 $7.13

$7.91 $7.91

-9.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$0.99 $0.99

2.02%

White Bread (500g)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.23 $3.23

24.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.12 $6.12

$4.90 $4.90

24.90%

Eggs

$5.34 $5.34

$4.91 $4.91

8.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.75 $11.75

$13.15 $13.15

-10.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.43 $14.43

$11.10 $11.10

30.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.84 $25.84

$18.83 $18.83

37.23%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$5.75 $5.75

16.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.56 $1.56

8.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.03 $7.03

$4.96 $4.96

41.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.12 $6.12

$4.09 $4.09

49.63%

Potato (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$2.31 $2.31

84.42%

Onion (1kg)

$5.87 $5.87

$3.09 $3.09

89.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.99 $1.99

17.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.84 $2.84

10.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.21 $8.21

$9.92 $9.92

-17.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.35 $14.35

$15.88 $15.88

-9.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.36 $3.36

-41.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.61 $4.61

31.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.06 $3.06

-17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.4 $78.4

$128 $128

-38.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.20 $7.20

$2.93 $2.93

145.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.80 $1.80

5.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.20 $24.20

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$36.0K $36.0K

-2.82%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$28.9K $28.9K

-11.60%

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

$291 $291

$194 $194

49.98%

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

$56.0 $56.0

$60.1 $60.1

-6.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.1 $76.1

$66.3 $66.3

14.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 $67.2

$60.2 $60.2

11.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.90 $3.90

$20.71 $20.71

-81.17%

Cinema Ticket

$15.29 $15.29

$14.75 $14.75

3.66%

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

$1,333 $1,333

$2,044 $2,044

-34.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K $24.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.1 $69.1

$65.6 $65.6

5.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.64 $42.64

$48.67 $48.67

-12.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$125 $125

-19.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.2 $71.2

$137 $137

-48.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,562 $1,562

$1,778 $1,778

-12.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,250 $1,250

$1,396 $1,396

-10.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,330 $2,330

$3,824 $3,824

-39.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 $2,126

$2,414 $2,414

-11.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,794 $2,794

$9,298 $9,298

-69.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,793 $2,793

$3,128 $3,128

-10.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,937 $3,937

$4,399 $4,399

-10.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.86

-4.23%

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

Last update for Wilmington, NC: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dallas, TX: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wilmington, NC

$1.3K 44.9%

Dallas, TX

$1.4K 48% 11.7% $146

Groceries & Markets

Wilmington, NC

$506 18.2%

Dallas, TX

$424 14.6% 16.1% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wilmington, NC

$423 15.2%

Dallas, TX

$320 11% 24.3% $103

Eating Out

Wilmington, NC

$274 9.9%

Dallas, TX

$357 12.3% 30% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Wilmington, NC

$128 4.6%

Dallas, TX

$169 5.8% 32.5% $41

Getting Around

Wilmington, NC

$105 3.8%

Dallas, TX

$152 5.2% 44.7% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Wilmington, NC

$98 3.5%

Dallas, TX

$90 3.1% 8.3% $8.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,562 in Wilmington, NC versus $1,778 in Dallas, TX. 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 12% higher in Dallas, TX, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Wilmington, NC versus $90.0 in Dallas, TX. Groceries tell a different story – $506 in Wilmington, NC vs $424 in Dallas, TX – so Dallas, TX wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Wilmington, NC

🇺🇸 Dallas, TX

🕒 Local time

06:26 6:26 AM

05:26 5:26 AM

1 h behind Wilmington, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,826

1,302,638

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Wilmington, NC
Dallas, TX

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

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

Dallas, TX costs about 4% more than Wilmington, NC, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,175 per month in Wilmington, NC and $4,363 in Dallas, TX. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,333 per month in Wilmington, NC and $2,044 in Dallas, TX. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 19% cheaper in Dallas, TX – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,783 in Wilmington, NC and $2,908 in Dallas, TX. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Wilmington, NC costs $2,783 versus $2,908 in Dallas, TX. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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