Raleigh, NC → Chicago, IL
Moving to Chicago costs you $374 a month
−$4,488 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
| Per month | Raleigh | Chicago | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,875 | $8,187 | +$312 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,926 | $2,122 | +$197 |
| Take-home pay | $5,949 | $6,065 | +$115 |
| Rent | $1,249 | $1,828 | +$579 |
| Getting around | $568 | $392 | −$176 |
| Groceries | $384 | $408 | +$24 |
| Healthcare | $432 | $459 | +$27 |
| Utilities | $240 | $255 | +$15 |
| Everything else | $336 | $357 | +$21 |
| Left over | $2,740 | $2,366 | −$374 |
To break even in Chicago, you'd need to earn
$105,000
Household gross, versus $94,500 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Raleigh does now.
The tax difference alone
−$1,251
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 24.5% in Raleigh, 25.9% in Chicago.
Raleigh, NC in full
Research Triangle salaries, low taxes, and not much to do downtown.
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 → Raleigh →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.