Atlanta, GA → Houston, TX
You'd keep $663 more a month in Houston
+$7,956 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
| Per month | Atlanta | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,875 | $7,953 | +$78 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,993 | $1,659 | −$334 |
| Take-home pay | $5,882 | $6,294 | +$412 |
| Rent | $1,399 | $1,199 | −$200 |
| Getting around | $580 | $572 | −$8 |
| Groceries | $392 | $380 | −$12 |
| Healthcare | $441 | $428 | −$13 |
| Utilities | $245 | $238 | −$7 |
| Everything else | $343 | $333 | −$10 |
| Left over | $2,482 | $3,145 | +$663 |
To break even in Houston, you'd need to earn
$84,000
Household gross, versus $94,500 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Atlanta does now.
The tax difference alone
+$4,282
A year, in state and local income tax. Texas has no wage income tax.
Atlanta, GA in full
Big-city pay at mid-market housing costs, with a 31-minute average commute.
Houston, TX in full
The cheapest housing of any top-10 metro, paid for in property tax and humidity.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from Houston on Houston wages.
Houston → Atlanta →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.