

Detroit vs McAllen
$131/mo less in McAllen
DetroitMcAllenAbout 1,409 miles apart, a flight.
- McAllen costs you more
- No state income tax
- Property tax 1.76%
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,351/mo in McAllen. $2,482/mo in Detroit. −$1,572 a year.
Detroit
$2,482
left each month
McAllen
$2,351
−$131 vs Detroit
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
−$131 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Detroit | McAllen | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,625 | $6,201 | −$1,424 |
| Income and payroll tax | $2,049 | $1,140 | −$909 |
| Take-home pay | $5,576 | $5,061 | −$514 |
| Rent | $1,185 | $863 | −$322 |
| Getting around | $560 | $532 | −$28 |
| Groceries | $372 | $363 | −$9 |
| Healthcare | $419 | $408 | −$11 |
| Utilities | $233 | $227 | −$6 |
| Everything else | $326 | $317 | −$9 |
| Left over | $2,482 | $2,351 | −$131 |
Salary to match Detroit
$76,500
Gross pay in McAllen that leaves the same amount as $91,500 in Detroit.
Tax difference
+$5,847
A year, in state and local income tax. Texas has no wage income tax.
More about McAllen
Detroit, MI in full
Engineering wages against some of the cheapest urban housing in America.
McAllen, TX in full
No state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,027 and 237 sunny days; commutes average 23 minutes.
The other way
Start in McAllen.
McAllen → Detroit →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in McAllen than Detroit?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, McAllen leaves about $131 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,185 in Detroit and $863 in McAllen.
Does McAllen have state income tax?
McAllen is in Texas, which has no state income tax.
What changes if you move from Detroit to McAllen?
The paycheck is taxed in Texas. 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 Detroit and McAllen 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.