Austin, TX → Chicago, IL
Moving to Chicago costs you $797 a month
−$9,564 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
| Per month | Austin | Chicago | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $8,125 | $8,203 | +$78 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,710 | $2,128 | +$418 |
| Take-home pay | $6,415 | $6,075 | −$340 |
| Rent | $1,226 | $1,828 | +$602 |
| Getting around | $566 | $392 | −$174 |
| Groceries | $400 | $408 | +$8 |
| Healthcare | $450 | $459 | +$9 |
| Utilities | $250 | $255 | +$5 |
| Everything else | $350 | $357 | +$7 |
| Left over | $3,173 | $2,376 | −$797 |
To break even in Chicago, you'd need to earn
$113,000
Household gross, versus $97,500 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Austin does now.
The tax difference alone
−$4,735
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 21.0% in Austin, 25.9% in Chicago.
Austin, TX in full
No income tax, but property taxes are among the steepest anywhere.
Chicago, IL in full
World-class city amenities at Midwest home prices, funded by 2.1% property tax.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from Chicago on Chicago wages.
Chicago → Austin →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.