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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Cincinnati skyline
Ynsalh. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License
Louisville skyline
Charles Delano of LouisvilleUSACE - Louisville District of the US Army Corp of Engineers. CC BY 2.0. Photo source · License

Cincinnati vs Louisville

$227/mo less in Louisville

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

CincinnatiLouisvilleAbout 89 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • Louisville costs you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,485/mo in Louisville. $2,712/mo in Cincinnati. −$2,724 a year.

Cincinnati

$2,712

left each month

Louisville

$2,485

−$227 vs Cincinnati

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Louisville wins 2 of 4Cincinnati 2 · ties 0
$5,761Take-home · Cincinnati$5,411
$1,168Rent · Louisville$1,047
$1,881Other bills · Louisville$1,879
$2,712Left over · Cincinnati$2,485

Next

In 2022-2023, 442 households moved Cincinnati → Louisville (avg AGI $68,265). 461 went the other way. The whole move →

−$227 / 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 monthCincinnatiLouisville
Less leftMore left
Louisville · this breakdownCincinnati · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Cincinnati, OH and Louisville, KY
Per monthCincinnatiLouisvilleDifference
Gross pay$7,625$7,329−$296
Income and payroll tax$1,864$1,918+$53
Take-home pay$5,761$5,411−$349
Rent$1,168$1,047−$121
Getting around$520$545+$25
Groceries$376$368−$8
Healthcare$423$414−$9
Utilities$235$230−$5
Everything else$329$322−$7
Left over$2,712$2,485−$227

Salary to match Cincinnati

$92,000

Gross pay in Louisville that leaves the same amount as $91,500 in Cincinnati.

Tax difference

−$1,692

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 24.5% in Cincinnati, 26.2% in Louisville.

More about Louisville

Cincinnati, OH in full

State income tax topping out at 3.5%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,391 and 201 sunny days; commutes average 25 minutes.

Louisville, KY in full

Cheap, central, and warmer than the rest of the Midwest.

The other way

Start in Louisville.

Louisville → Cincinnati →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Louisville than Cincinnati?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Louisville leaves about $227 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,168 in Cincinnati and $1,047 in Louisville.

Does Louisville have state income tax?

Louisville is in Kentucky, which taxes wage income, plus a local wage tax of 2.20%.

What changes if you move from Cincinnati to Louisville?

The paycheck is taxed in Kentucky. 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 Cincinnati and Louisville 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.