

Austin vs Tulsa
$620/mo less in Tulsa
AustinTulsaAbout 423 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Tulsa costs you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- 227 sunny days
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,558/mo in Tulsa. $3,178/mo in Austin. −$7,440 a year.
Austin
$3,178
left each month
Tulsa
$2,558
−$620 vs Austin
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 137 households moved Austin → Tulsa (avg AGI $82,496). 112 went the other way. The whole move →
−$620 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Austin | Tulsa | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $8,125 | $7,031 | −$1,094 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,710 | $1,679 | −$31 |
| Take-home pay | $6,415 | $5,352 | −$1,063 |
| Rent | $1,221 | $967 | −$254 |
| Getting around | $566 | $536 | −$30 |
| Groceries | $400 | $356 | −$44 |
| Healthcare | $450 | $401 | −$49 |
| Utilities | $250 | $223 | −$27 |
| Everything else | $350 | $312 | −$38 |
| Left over | $3,178 | $2,558 | −$620 |
Salary to match Austin
$95,500
Gross pay in Tulsa that leaves the same amount as $97,500 in Austin.
Tax difference
−$3,518
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 21.0% in Austin, 23.9% in Tulsa.
More about Tulsa
Austin, TX in full
No income tax, but property taxes are among the steepest anywhere.
Tulsa, OK in full
Paid remote workers to move here, and the housing math is why it worked.
The other way
Start in Tulsa.
Tulsa → Austin →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Tulsa than Austin?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Tulsa leaves about $620 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,221 in Austin and $967 in Tulsa.
Does Tulsa have state income tax?
Tulsa is in Oklahoma, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Austin to Tulsa?
The paycheck is taxed in Oklahoma. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Austin and Tulsa changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.