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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Chicago skyline
Diego Delso. CC BY-SA 3.0. Photo source · License
Tulsa skyline
Nils Huenerfuerst. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License

Chicago vs Tulsa

$135/mo more in Tulsa

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
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ChicagoTulsaAbout 587 miles apart, a flight.

  • Tulsa leaves you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay
  • 227 sunny days

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,561/mo in Tulsa. $2,426/mo in Chicago. +$1,620 a year.

Chicago

$2,426

left each month

Tulsa

$2,561

+$135 vs Chicago

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Tulsa wins 3 of 4Chicago 1 · ties 0
$6,079Take-home · Chicago$5,355
$1,782Rent · Tulsa$967
$1,871Other bills · Tulsa$1,827
$2,426Left over · Tulsa$2,561

Next

In 2022-2023, 76 households moved Chicago → Tulsa (avg AGI $70,605). 86 went the other way. The whole move →

+$135 / 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 monthChicagoTulsa
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Tulsa · this breakdownChicago · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Chicago, IL and Tulsa, OK
Per monthChicagoTulsaDifference
Gross pay$8,208$7,036−$1,173
Income and payroll tax$2,130$1,681−$449
Take-home pay$6,079$5,355−$723
Rent$1,782$967−$815
Getting around$392$536+$144
Groceries$408$356−$52
Healthcare$459$401−$58
Utilities$255$223−$32
Everything else$357$312−$45
Left over$2,426$2,561+$135

Salary to match Chicago

$82,000

Gross pay in Tulsa that leaves the same amount as $98,500 in Chicago.

Tax difference

+$1,218

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 25.9% in Chicago, 23.9% in Tulsa.

More about Tulsa

Chicago, IL in full

World-class city amenities at Midwest home prices, funded by 2.1% property tax.

Tulsa, OK in full

Paid remote workers to move here, and the housing math is why it worked.

The other way

Start in Tulsa.

Tulsa → Chicago →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Tulsa than Chicago?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Tulsa leaves about $135 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,782 in Chicago and $967 in Tulsa.

Does Tulsa have state income tax?

Tulsa is in Oklahoma, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from Chicago to Tulsa?

The paycheck is taxed in Oklahoma. 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 Chicago and Tulsa 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.