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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Rochester skyline
Patrick Ashley. CC BY 2.0. Photo source · License
Syracuse skyline
Quintin Soloviev. CC BY 4.0. Photo source · License

Rochester vs Syracuse

$255/mo less in Syracuse

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

RochesterSyracuseAbout 70 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • Syracuse costs you more
  • Property tax 2.56%
  • Rent under 30% of pay

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,274/mo in Syracuse. $2,529/mo in Rochester. −$3,060 a year.

Rochester

$2,529

left each month

Syracuse

$2,274

−$255 vs Rochester

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Syracuse wins 0 of 4Rochester 4 · ties 0
$5,612Take-home · Rochester$5,491
$1,208Rent · Rochester$1,236
$1,875Other bills · Rochester$1,981
$2,529Left over · Rochester$2,274

Next

In 2022-2023, 462 households moved Rochester → Syracuse (avg AGI $63,753). 507 went the other way. The whole move →

−$255 / 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 monthRochesterSyracuse
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Syracuse · this breakdownRochester · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Rochester, NY and Syracuse, NY
Per monthRochesterSyracuseDifference
Gross pay$7,500$7,313−$187
Income and payroll tax$1,888$1,821−$66
Take-home pay$5,612$5,491−$121
Rent$1,208$1,236+$28
Getting around$526$543+$17
Groceries$372$397+$25
Healthcare$419$446+$27
Utilities$233$248+$15
Everything else$326$347+$21
Left over$2,529$2,274−$255

Salary to match Rochester

$92,500

Gross pay in Syracuse that leaves the same amount as $90,000 in Rochester.

Tax difference

+$131

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 25.2% in Rochester, 24.9% in Syracuse.

More about Syracuse

Rochester, NY in full

The highest effective property tax rate in the country, on very cheap houses.

Syracuse, NY in full

State income tax topping out at 9.65%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,472 and 159 sunny days; commutes average 22 minutes.

The other way

Start in Syracuse.

Syracuse → Rochester →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Syracuse than Rochester?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Syracuse leaves about $255 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,208 in Rochester and $1,236 in Syracuse.

Does Syracuse have state income tax?

Syracuse is in New York, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from Rochester to Syracuse?

The paycheck is taxed in New York. 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 Rochester and Syracuse 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.