Uprootmap
Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
Uprootmap
Buffalo skyline
Quintin Soloviev. CC BY 4.0. Photo source · License
Erie skyline
Andre Carrotflower. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License

Buffalo vs Erie

$285/mo less in Erie

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical month
Less leftMore left

BuffaloErieAbout 93 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • Erie costs you more
  • Property tax 1.62%
  • Rent under 30% of pay

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,240/mo in Erie. $2,525/mo in Buffalo. −$3,420 a year.

Buffalo

$2,525

left each month

Erie

$2,240

−$285 vs Buffalo

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Erie wins 1 of 4Buffalo 3 · ties 0
$5,559Take-home · Buffalo$5,082
$1,169Rent · Erie$804
$1,865Other bills · Buffalo$2,038
$2,525Left over · Buffalo$2,240

Next

In 2022-2023, 49 households moved Buffalo → Erie (avg AGI $40,918). 57 went the other way. The whole move →

−$285 / mo

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical monthBuffaloErie
Less leftMore left
Erie · this breakdownBuffalo · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Buffalo, NY and Erie, PA
Per monthBuffaloErieDifference
Gross pay$7,417$6,613−$804
Income and payroll tax$1,858$1,531−$327
Take-home pay$5,559$5,082−$477
Rent$1,169$804−$365
Getting around$517$584+$67
Groceries$372$401+$29
Healthcare$419$451+$32
Utilities$233$251+$18
Everything else$326$351+$25
Left over$2,525$2,240−$285

Salary to match Buffalo

$84,500

Gross pay in Erie that leaves the same amount as $89,000 in Buffalo.

Tax difference

+$1,062

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 25.0% in Buffalo, 23.2% in Erie.

More about Erie

Buffalo, NY in full

Cheap housing, a 21-minute commute, and 85 inches of snow.

Erie, PA in full

A flat 3.07% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $957 and 172 sunny days; commutes average 20 minutes.

The other way

Start in Erie.

Erie → Buffalo →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Erie than Buffalo?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Erie leaves about $285 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,169 in Buffalo and $804 in Erie.

Does Erie have state income tax?

Erie is in Pennsylvania, which taxes wage income, plus a local wage tax of 1.00%.

What changes if you move from Buffalo to Erie?

The paycheck is taxed in Pennsylvania. 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 Buffalo and Erie 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.