Looking for two tables to start at the same height

Question

I am using a minipage environment to display these tables. I want the top row of each table to align vertically (as opposed to right now where it looks like the first table is in the center vertically of the first). Thanks!

\begin{document} 
\begin{minipage}[t]{0.475\linewidth}
    \begin{tabular}{|l|l|}
        \hline
        \textsf{Monthly Income} & \textsf{\$5500} \\
        \hline
        \textsf{Other Income} & \textsf{\$150} \\
        \hline
        \textbf{\textsf{Total Income}} & \textbf{\textsf{\$5650}}\\
        \hline
    \end{tabular}
\end{minipage}
\hfill
\begin{minipage}[t]{0.475\linewidth}
    \begin{tabular}{|l|l|}
        \hline
         \textsf{Mortgage} & \textsf{\$2000}  \\
         \hline
         \textsf{Mortgage} & \textsf{\$2000}  \\
         \hline
         \textsf{Mortgage} & \textsf{\$2000}  \\
         \hline
         \textsf{Mortgage} & \textsf{\$2000}  \\
         \hline
         \textsf{Mortgage} & \textsf{\$2000}  \\
         \hline
         \textsf{Mortgage} & \textsf{\$2000}  \\
         \hline
    \end{tabular}

\end{minipage}
    \end{document}

Answer 1

As @DavidCarlisle has already pointed out in a comment, there's no need to encase the tabular environments in minipage environments. Instead, as @samcarter_is_at_topanswers.xyz has already suggested, just use the [t] vertical positioning specifier for both tabular environments.

I would suggest, additionally, that you place both tabular environments inside a center environment. This'll guarantee that the tables are separated vertically from the surrounding material. It'll also simplify the task of localizing directives, such as switching to \sffamily for both tables; making sans-serif the default obviates the need for all those \textsf wrappers.

\documentclass{article} % or some other suitable document class
\usepackage{array}      % for '\extrarowheight' parameter
\usepackage{showframe}  % draw framelines around text block

\begin{document} 
\begin{center} % localize scope of next two instructions
\setlength\extrarowheight{2pt} % for a less-cramped look
\sffamily % make sans-serif the default

\begin{tabular}[t]{|l|l|}
   \hline
   Monthly Income & \$5500 \\
   \hline
   Other Income   & \$150 \\
   \hline
   \textbf{Total Income} & \textbf{\$5650}\\
   \hline
\end{tabular}
\hspace{1.5cm} % choose width to suit your needs
\begin{tabular}[t]{|l|l|}
    \hline
    Mortgage & \$2000  \\
    \hline
    Mortgage & \$2000  \\
    \hline
    Mortgage & \$2000  \\
    \hline
    Mortgage & \$2000  \\
    \hline
    Mortgage & \$2000  \\
    \hline
    Mortgage & \$2000  \\
    \hline
\end{tabular}
\end{center}

\end{document}

Answer 2

Your main problem is already solved by comments, so by following MWE is shown how you can write your tables with use of the tabularray and siunitx packages:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tabularray}
\UseTblrLibrary{siunitx}

\begin{document} 
\begin{table}[ht]
\sisetup{detect-all,   % <--
        table-format={\$},
        table-align-text-before=false
        }
\centering
    \begin{tblr}[t]{colspec={Q[l, font=\sffamily] 
                             Q[c,font=\sffamily,preto=\$, si]},
                    row{Z} = {font=\sffamily\bfseries},
                    hlines, vlines}
Monthly Income  &  5500     \\
Other Income    &   150     \\
Total Income    &  5650     \\
    \end{tblr}
\hfil
    \begin{tblr}[t]{colspec={Q[l, font=\sffamily] 
                             Q[c,font=\sffamily,preto=\$, si]},
                    hlines, vlines}
Mortgage    &    2000  \\
Mortgage    &    2000  \\
Mortgage    &    2000  \\
Mortgage    &    2000  \\
Mortgage    &    2000  \\
Mortgage    &    2000  \\
    \end{tblr}
\end{table}
\end{document}

Edit: With considering @Mico comments about correct use of the siunix package.

Answer 3

You don't need minipages, just the [t] option to tabular.

\documentclass{article}

\begin{document}

\begin{center}
\sffamily

\begin{tabular}[t]{|l|l|}
  \hline
  Monthly Income & \$5500 \\
  \hline
  Other Income & \$150 \\
  \hline
  \textbf{Total Income} & \textbf{\$5650}\\
  \hline
\end{tabular}\hfil
\begin{tabular}[t]{|l|l|}
  \hline
  Mortgage & \$2000  \\
  \hline
  Mortgage & \$2000  \\
  \hline
  Mortgage & \$2000  \\
  \hline
  Mortgage & \$2000  \\
  \hline
  Mortgage & \$2000  \\
  \hline
  Mortgage & \$2000  \\
  \hline
\end{tabular}
\end{center}

\end{document}

With a different look:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{booktabs}

\begin{document}

\begin{center}
\sffamily

\begin{tabular}[t]{@{}lr@{}}
  \toprule
  Income & Amount (\$) \\
  \midrule
  Monthly & 5500 \\
  Other & 150 \\
  \midrule
  \textbf{Total} & \textbf{5650}\\
  \bottomrule
\end{tabular}\hfil
\begin{tabular}[t]{@{}lr@{}}
  \toprule
  Expenses & Amount (\$) \\
  \midrule
  Mortgage & 2000  \\
  Mortgage & 2000  \\
  Mortgage & 2000  \\
  Mortgage & 2000  \\
  Mortgage & 2000  \\
  Mortgage & 2000  \\
  \bottomrule
\end{tabular}
\end{center}

\end{document}