Free Calculator
Should You Move?
Run the Numbers.
Compare your complete financial picture in any two U.S. cities. We compute taxes, housing, expenses, and savings — so you can see exactly what moving means for your wallet.
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Popular Relocation Comparisons
Pre-computed at each salary for a single filer renting a 2-bedroom. Click any row to run your own comparison.
| From | To | Salary | Monthly Savings Gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | Austin, TX | $150k | +$3,386/mo |
| San Francisco, CA | Phoenix, AZ | $150k | +$3,036/mo |
| San Jose, CA | Charlotte, NC | $175k | +$2,708/mo |
| San Diego, CA | San Antonio, TX | $100k | +$2,432/mo |
| Los Angeles, CA | Houston, TX | $100k | +$2,053/mo |
| Los Angeles, CA | Raleigh, NC | $120k | +$1,993/mo |
| Seattle, WA | Tampa, FL | $130k | +$388/mo |
| Portland, OR | Denver, CO | $120k | +$217/mo |
Amounts reflect monthly savings difference (take-home pay minus all expenses) using 2026 tax data and government cost estimates. Results assume same salary at both locations (remote worker scenario). Your results will vary based on income, family size, and housing type.
How This Relocation Calculator Works
Most "cost of living calculators" compare abstract price indices. They don't account for taxes, and they don't tell you the bottom line: how much more (or less) you'll save each month. This tool does.
Taxes computed at your income: We run a full tax computation for both locations — federal income tax, state income tax, local taxes, FICA (Social Security + Medicare), state payroll taxes (disability insurance, paid leave), and tax credits (Child Tax Credit, EITC). Moving from California to Texas doesn't just save you "state tax" — it also eliminates CA's disability insurance, changes your marginal bracket interactions, and affects credit phase-outs. We model all of it.
Location-specific expenses: Housing uses HUD Fair Market Rents adjusted by city-level rent data for your bedroom count (or Zillow home values, property taxes, and insurance for homeowners). Food uses USDA cost plans adjusted by regional price parity. Healthcare uses employer or marketplace premiums by state/county. Transportation, utilities, childcare — each uses the most granular government data available, falling back from county to state to national when needed.
Your actual bottom line: Gross income minus taxes minus expenses equals savings. We compare this number for both cities, then show you the difference — monthly and annual. If you enter moving costs, we calculate how many months until the move pays for itself.
What Is Geographic Arbitrage?
Geographic arbitrage is earning income tied to a high-cost-of-living area while living in a lower-cost area. Remote workers who keep a San Francisco salary while moving to Boise, Nashville, or Raleigh are practicing geographic arbitrage — and the financial impact can be dramatic.
The savings come from three sources: lower state/local taxes (moving from CA to TX can save $8,000–$15,000+ in state income tax alone), cheaper housing (often 40–60% less in rent or mortgage), and lower everyday costs (groceries, childcare, utilities). Combined, remote workers can often save $1,500–$3,000+ per month by relocating — equivalent to a $18,000–$36,000 annual raise.
Leave the "Income at Destination" field blank to model this scenario — the calculator assumes the same salary in both cities. See our full guide: Geographic Arbitrage for Remote Workers.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How does the relocation calculator work?
- The calculator runs a full financial analysis for both your current city and your destination. It computes federal, state, and local taxes at your income, then estimates all major expense categories (housing, food, transportation, healthcare, childcare, utilities) using government data specific to each location. The difference in monthly savings tells you exactly how much better or worse off you'd be financially.
- Is this just a cost of living calculator?
- No. Most cost of living calculators compare price indices without factoring in taxes. This tool computes your actual take-home pay after all taxes (federal, state, local, FICA, state payroll) in both locations, then subtracts location-specific expenses. The tax difference alone can be worth $5,000-$15,000+ per year when moving between states with different income tax rates.
- What is geographic arbitrage?
- Geographic arbitrage means earning income tied to a high-cost area while living in a lower-cost area. Remote workers who keep a San Francisco or New York salary while living in a city like Austin or Boise are practicing geographic arbitrage. This calculator quantifies exactly how much you'd gain by doing this.
- Does the calculator account for state income tax differences?
- Yes. The calculator computes your full tax burden in each state, including states with no income tax (Texas, Florida, Washington, etc.), flat-rate states, and progressive states like California and New York. It also includes local income taxes (like NYC's city tax or Maryland county taxes), FICA, and state payroll taxes where applicable.
- How accurate is the housing cost comparison?
- Rental costs use HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) by bedroom count, adjusted by city-level rent data when available — so two cities in the same county can show different rents. For homeowners, the calculator uses Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) data at the city level across three price tiers (starter, typical, and move-up homes), county property tax rates, state insurance averages, and a mortgage estimate. These are solid estimates, though your actual costs will vary based on the specific home and neighborhood.
- What if my salary will change when I move?
- Enter your expected destination salary in the 'Income at Destination' field. The calculator will separate the impact into two parts: the cost-of-living difference (what the location itself costs or saves you at the same salary) and the take-home difference from your salary change. This way you can see how much of the financial change comes from the location vs. the new paycheck.
- How is the break-even calculated?
- If you enter one-time moving costs, the calculator divides those costs by your monthly savings gain. For example, if moving costs $6,000 and you'd save $1,500/month in your new city, you break even in 4 months. This only appears when the move results in net positive savings.
- What data sources does the calculator use?
- All data comes from government sources: IRS tax brackets, HUD Fair Market Rents, USDA food cost plans, BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, Census ACS income distributions, EIA energy costs, CMS healthcare marketplace premiums, and DOL childcare prices. Tax data reflects 2026 brackets including provisions from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.