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.
Ubisoft has confirmed Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced will still let Edward Kenway get drunk…
Now that The Boys is finally over, actor Antony Starr has taken to Instagram to…
Now that The Boys is finally over, actor Antony Starr has taken to Instagram to…
Now that The Boys is finally over, actor Antony Starr has taken to Instagram to…
Now that The Boys is finally over, actor Antony Starr has taken to Instagram to…
A new weekend has arrived, and today, you can save big on the M5 MacBook…
This website uses cookies.