Moving from Appleton to Austin
You'd keep $66 more a month in Austin
+$792 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
Appleton leftover
$3,097
a month after tax and rent
Austin leftover
$3,163
+$66 vs Appleton
| Per month | Appleton | Austin | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,917 | $8,112 | +$195 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,977 | $1,706 | −$270 |
| Take-home pay | $5,940 | $6,405 | +$465 |
| Rent | $923 | $1,226 | +$303 |
| Getting around | $551 | $566 | +$15 |
| Groceries | $378 | $400 | +$22 |
| Healthcare | $425 | $450 | +$25 |
| Utilities | $236 | $250 | +$14 |
| Everything else | $330 | $350 | +$20 |
| Left over | $3,097 | $3,163 | +$66 |
To break even in Austin, you'd need to earn
$96,000
Household gross, versus $95,000 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Appleton does now.
The tax difference alone
+$3,937
A year, in state and local income tax. Texas has no wage income tax.
More about Austin
Appleton, WI in full
State income tax topping out at 7.65%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,099 and 195 sunny days; commutes average 21 minutes.
Austin, TX in full
No income tax, but property taxes are among the steepest anywhere.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from Austin on Austin wages.
Austin → Appleton →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Austin than Appleton?
A one-bedroom is about $923 in Appleton versus $1,226 in Austin. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $66 a month higher in Austin. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Austin have state income tax?
Austin is in Texas, which has no state income tax.
What changes if you move from Appleton to Austin?
Take-home pay is recalculated under Texas tax, rent is priced at the same bedroom count, and leftover is the gap. The from-to page also lists IRS households that already made the move, when that data exists.
Rent is Zillow's asking rent for each metro; taxes and living costs are modelled. An estimate, not a quote or tax advice. How this is calculated.