---
title: "Dallas vs Philadelphia for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/dallas-vs-philadelphia
description: "Under balanced weights Dallas edges it, 62 to 62, winning 1 of the 9 factors. Dallas is stronger on nothing outright; Philadelphia on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.09.4 (2026-09-26)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Dallas vs Philadelphia for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Dallas edges it, 62 to 62, winning 1 of the 9 factors. Dallas is stronger on nothing outright; Philadelphia on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Dallas | Philadelphia | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 18 | 18 | Philadelphia |
| Safety | 54 | 54 | tie |
| Healthcare | 79 | 79 | tie |
| Internet | 70 | 72 | Philadelphia |
| Visa ease | 53 | 53 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 55 | 47 | Dallas |
| Climate | 42 | 42 | tie |
| Air quality | 92 | 95 | Philadelphia |
| Quality of life | 95 | 95 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Dallas | Philadelphia | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $3,093 | $3,077 | Philadelphia |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Dallas | Philadelphia | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 5.8 | 5.8 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 64.3 | 64.3 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 88 | 88 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 76.4 yrs | 76.4 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Dallas | Philadelphia | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 56.4 Mbps | 59.1 Mbps | Philadelphia |
| Upload | 9.3 Mbps | 13.6 Mbps | Philadelphia |

## Visa

| Metric | Dallas | Philadelphia | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Visa-free days, US passport | unlimited | unlimited | tie |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required | tie |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Dallas | Philadelphia | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 279 | 87 | Dallas |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 5 | Philadelphia |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 4 | Philadelphia |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Dallas | Philadelphia | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 5 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 8.5 µg/m³ | 7.2 µg/m³ | Philadelphia |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Dallas or Philadelphia?

Philadelphia is cheaper: about $3,077 per month versus $3,093 for one person.

### Is Dallas or Philadelphia safer?

Dallas scores higher on safety (54 vs 54), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Dallas or Philadelphia?

Philadelphia: a measured median of 59.1 Mbps versus 56.4 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Dallas](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/dallas) · [Philadelphia](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/philadelphia). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (all items).

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