Living on 60k/year?
Posted by tuneful_radio@reddit | askdfw | View on Reddit | 26 comments
I’m a 35M, single, no kids, no pets, paid off car (and no drinking or smoking/vaping habits to spend on)
I prefer apartment living and have a WFH job with a 60k salary. Could I live comfortably in Dallas proper?
As in, a “good” 1b/1b apartment, eating out a few times a week, going on the occasional date/event? Or am I living on a shoestring budget?
Is the life I’m looking for more feasible in the surrounding areas within a half hour or so of Dallas proper?
Early days of thinking about calling Dallas home, appreciate any insight!
AAA_battery@reddit
Depends if you want to retire. Yea you can but you likely won’t be saving much of anything.
Anon-1028@reddit
Absolutely you could. Green Ave is calling your name.
Joseph10d@reddit
Urban House apartments in Bishop Arts. Stone’s throw from downtown Dallas. Rent and bills is about $2,000 for a 1b1b. Gated neighbourhood and a step above run of the mill.
tuneful_radio@reddit (OP)
Hate to hound you for homework but you mind if I ask for specifics of what rent “and bills” included? My take home is currently 3k a month. Surely more than that by the time I’d move plus whatever gig work I’d make there (musician) so 2k is already a hefty chunk
Joseph10d@reddit
$1550 Rent $150 light $30 Covered Parking $40 water and sewer $80 internet and $20 renter’s insurance. $1,870 total
elisabethofaustria@reddit
You’ll be fine. I made $62k -> $58k (took a pay cut) between May 2024 and March 2026; during that time, I lived alone in a 1bd/1ba downtown, went out with my friends regularly, enjoyed a gym membership with unlimited rock climbing/yoga/access to sauna, did things like spend $366 on a single haircut (balayage), went to \~4 countries per year, etc. while saving around 30% of my income.
mike_lowrey214@reddit
You could easily do it as long as you find a decent apartment that's no more than$1.5K all in. It won't be a new building but it being in Dallas proper is possible. Most of the apartments in the burbs aren't that much cheaper to be honest.
liquidnight247@reddit
1.5k all in is the issue when OP wants a “good” apartment. You’re going to be on Forest Lane somewhere in that price range l, I think.
mike_lowrey214@reddit
Absolutely not true. Medical District, East Dallas, North Oak Cliff, Trinity Groves, or even Uptown are options for a $1.2K base rental.
elisabethofaustria@reddit
Yeah, I live downtown and my rent is $1,275/mo (including renters’ insurance, trash, pest control, etc. but not utilities). I’m about to move into a 2bed in Vickery Meadow that’ll be $1k for my half. There are definitely suitable apartments out there.
PerformanceOk5793@reddit
You’re better off living in the surrounding areas of Dallas than downtown itself. You’ll find better traffic, pricing and sometimes less crime depending on which area. 60K is more than enough to live comfortably.
tuneful_radio@reddit (OP)
Do you have specific surrounding area examples I could start caaaasually researching? I go to Dallas a few times a year so I’m taking suggestions and kinda using landmarks I’m familiar with as reference points.
Zealousideal-Bid1586@reddit
Look into the whole Cityline/Richardson to Plano to north garland area, not far from Dallas, much better pricing I very much like the area
casitadeflor@reddit
I don’t have any idea of recent pricing but I’d suggest Grand Prairie. Has you close enough to Dallas proper and you could also head out to FW if you want to.
AN604@reddit
Second Grand Prarie!
SpoonFed_1@reddit
Grand Prairie is a great place to live.
Nice, quiet, low crime and minimal traffic.
IveKnownItAll@reddit
What part of GP has minimal traffic?
SpoonFed_1@reddit
South of I-20
Upstairs_Balance_464@reddit
Holy shit do not listen to these people telling you to live in Grand Prairie. You can absolutely live in Dallas on 60k and your quality of life will be far better than the suburbs.
Upstairs_Balance_464@reddit
Are you really conflating the whole of Dallas proper with downtown?
Penguins_in_new_york@reddit
Live somewhere near a train station and use public transit more than you drive and you will be set. People are going to make DART jokes and they won’t be completely wrong but it gets you from point a to point b a lot cheaper than your car will
CheesecakeWest899@reddit
I live In the colony in a very nice apartment on 66k a year.
liquidnight247@reddit
Ngl if you want to eat out a few times a week plus events it’s going to be tight unless you eat super cheaply and no alcohol. It’s doable though. Rent will be your biggest ever increasing expense.
tuneful_radio@reddit (OP)
I think the fact that I already don’t drink alcohol is gonna be a factor in my favor. Few more bucks in my pocket.
bananabob23@reddit
All of my bills including food and gas are like 2200 a month. So as long as your bring home is $600 a week you won’t go bankrupt. You don’t have to ball out every day of the week, you’ll be fine
Texas22@reddit
Sounds like my life and I’m doing alright. Things could be better but I’d have to live out in the sticks, lol.