These Texas cities are more expensive than Dubai, study finds

DALLAS (KDAF) — A surprising new study by UAE-based real estate experts at Stage Properties reveals that two Texas cities, McAllen and Brownsville, rank among U.S. metro areas where residents spend a greater portion of their income on living expenses than folks in Dubai.

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas landed the No. 2 spot on the list, with locals spending a staggering 112.77% of their income on expenses. That’s more than they’re actually making. With an annual household income of $68,746 and yearly expenses totaling $77,526, the math doesn’t lie—many McAllen residents are operating in the red.

Brownsville-Harlingen isn’t far behind, ranking fifth, with an index score of 138.09. There, residents spend 100.31% of their income to get by, which means the average household is just barely breaking even.

Top 10 U.S. metropolitan areas with the highest cost of living compared to Dubai 

Rank	Metro Area	Average annual wage	Average Annual Household Expenses	Average Annual Household Income	Household Expenses as a Percentage of Income	Index score compared to Dubai (Dubai = 100)
1.	Urban Honolulu, Hawaii	$69,893	$170,418	$139,786	121.91%	167.82
2.	McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas	$34,373	$77,526	$68,746	112.77%	155.24
3.	Bakersfield, California	$47,350	$106,410	$94,700	112.37%	154.68
4.	Lake Havasu City-Kingman, Arizona	$46,777	$100,419	$93,554	107.34%	147.76
5.	Brownsville-Harlingen, Texas	$38,523	$77,286	$77,046	100.31%	138.09
6.	Prescott Valley-Prescott, Arizona	$55,913	$109,464	$111,826	97.89%	134.75
7.	Valdosta, Georgia	$44,231	$86,148	$88,462	97.38%	134.06
8.	St. George, Utah	$54,405	$101,262	$108,810	93.06%	128.11
9.	Bellingham, Washington	$62,095	$114,510	$124,190	92.21%	126.93
10.	Yakima, Washington	$51,488	$94,566	$102,976	91.83%	126.41

On the flip side, Midland, Texas scores 43.57, 56.43 points lower than Dubai. With the annual household income being a substantial $286,938 and annual expenses of $90,816, residents there only spend about 31.65% of what they make—earning it the title of the cheapest metro area for cost of living compared to Dubai.

Top 10 U.S. metropolitan areas with the lowest cost of living compared to Dubai 

Rank	Metro Area Name	Average Annual Wage	Average Annual Household Expenses	Average Annual Household Income	Household Expenses as a Percentage of Income	Index score compared to Dubai (Dubai = 100)
1.	Midland, Texas	$143,469	$90,816	$286,938	31.65%	43.57
2.	Bridgeport-Stamford, Connecticut	$139,006	$119,862	$278,012	43.11%	59.35
3.	Sebastian-Vero Beach, Florida	$105,827	$91,290	$211,654	43.13%	59.37
4.	Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Arkansas	$89,095	$87,318	$178,190	49.00%	67.46
5.	Casper, Wyoming	$79,846	$82,722	$159,692	51.80%	71.31
6.	Charlottesville, Virginia	$90,472	$96,522	$180,944	53.34%	73.43
7.	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California	$148,036	$162,378	$296,072	54.84%	75.50
8.	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minnesota-Wisconsin	$79,654	$88,437	$159,308	55.51%	76.42
9.	Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, Texas	$80,471	$89,649	$160,942	55.70%	76.68
10.	St. Louis, Missouri-Illinois	$75,577	$84,402	$151,154	55.84%	76.87

So, if you thought Texas was always a bargain, it depends on your zip code.