Moving from Raleigh to Olympia

You'd keep $56 more a month in Olympia

+$672 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.

Raleigh leftover

$2,740

a month after tax and rent

Olympia leftover

$2,796

+$56 vs Raleigh

Monthly and annual budget comparison between Raleigh, NC and Olympia, WA
Per monthRaleighOlympiaDifference
Gross pay$7,875$8,203+$328
Income and payroll tax$1,926$1,733−$192
Take-home pay$5,949$6,469+$520
Rent$1,249$1,575+$326
Getting around$568$541−$27
Groceries$384$430+$46
Healthcare$432$483+$51
Utilities$240$269+$29
Everything else$336$376+$40
Left over$2,740$2,796+$56

To break even in Olympia, you'd need to earn

$97,500

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

+$3,474

A year, in state and local income tax. Washington has no wage income tax.

More about Olympia

Raleigh, NC in full

Research Triangle salaries, low taxes, and not much to do downtown.

Olympia, WA in full

No state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,875 and 156 sunny days; commutes average 26 minutes.

The reverse move

Same two cities, but starting from Olympia on Olympia wages.

OlympiaRaleigh

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Olympia than Raleigh?

A one-bedroom is about $1,249 in Raleigh versus $1,575 in Olympia. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $56 a month higher in Olympia. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.

Does Olympia have state income tax?

Olympia is in Washington, which has no state income tax.

What changes if you move from Raleigh to Olympia?

Take-home pay is recalculated under Washington tax, rent is priced at the same bedroom count, and leftover is the gap. The from-to page also lists IRS households that already made the move, when that data exists.

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.