Houston, TX → Chicago, IL
Moving to Chicago costs you $780 a month
−$9,360 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
| Per month | Houston | Chicago | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,958 | $8,192 | +$234 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,661 | $2,124 | +$463 |
| Take-home pay | $6,298 | $6,068 | −$229 |
| Rent | $1,199 | $1,828 | +$629 |
| Getting around | $572 | $392 | −$180 |
| Groceries | $380 | $408 | +$28 |
| Healthcare | $428 | $459 | +$31 |
| Utilities | $238 | $255 | +$17 |
| Everything else | $333 | $357 | +$24 |
| Left over | $3,149 | $2,369 | −$780 |
To break even in Chicago, you'd need to earn
$112,500
Household gross, versus $95,500 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Houston does now.
The tax difference alone
−$4,729
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 20.9% in Houston, 25.9% in Chicago.
Houston, TX in full
The cheapest housing of any top-10 metro, paid for in property tax and humidity.
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 → Houston →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.