Salary Comparison Tool
See what salary you'd need in a new city to keep the same standard of living, and how your take-home pay, taxes, and expenses are likely to change.
Results are estimates only, based on cost-of-living indices and simplified tax rules — not a substitute for personalized tax or financial advice.
About this tool
What it does
It estimates the gross salary you would need in a new city to maintain your current standard of living, then shows how take-home pay, taxes, housing burden, and everyday expenses are likely to change between the two locations.
Who it is for
People evaluating a job offer or a planned move who need to know whether a salary that looks like a raise still feels like one after taxes and the local cost of living — and what minimum pay would keep housing affordable in the destination.
How to use it
- Enter your current annual salary and household size.
- Select your current city and the city you are considering.
- Choose your tax filing status.
- Compare to see the equivalent gross salary, take-home, and housing burden in the destination.
How to read the results
The equivalent gross salary is what preserves your purchasing power — an offer above it improves your position, below it erodes it. Housing burden above 30% of take-home signals stretch; above 40% signals risk. Purchasing power is positive when your money goes further in the destination.
A worked example
A single earner making $80,000 in Chattanooga, TN considers an $88,000 offer in Austin, TX. The tool scales the salary by the two cities' cost-of-living indices to find the equivalent Austin salary, applies simplified federal, FICA, and state tax rules for each state, and reports the take-home, housing burden against Austin's median rent, and a suggested minimum salary that keeps rent near 30% of take-home — so the offer can be judged on real after-tax, after-rent terms rather than the headline number.
Assumptions & limitations
- Federal tax uses 2024 brackets and the standard deduction; itemized deductions, credits, and local taxes are not modeled.
- State tax applies an effective rate below the top marginal, so high earners may see more tax than shown.
- Take-home assumes a typical benefits load; actual withholdings vary by employer and benefits elections.
- Housing burden uses each city's median rent, not the specific home or apartment you would choose.
Where the data comes from
City identity and population come from public sources (OpenStreetMap Nominatim, Wikidata). Cost-of-living indices, typical rents, and state income tax rates are deterministic planning estimates from CityMove's model. This tool is not tax advice — confirm with a tax professional or your employer before deciding. See data sources and methodology.
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