A household of two adults and a preschooler earning $120,000 ($72,000 + $48,000) has $2,633 a month left over in Chicago and $3,428 in Austin after 2026 taxes and modeled costs. The $795-a-month difference is $9,541 a year in Austin’s favor. The biggest pieces are no Illinois income tax ($459 a month), lower rent ($1,817 against $2,011) and lower food prices. To match its Chicago budget in Austin, this household needs only $108,127, so it could take an $11,873 pay cut and come out even. Build the same comparison for your household in the cost-of-living calculator, or a single-city budget in the relocation budget planner.
The full budget: Chicago vs. Austin
Household: 2 adults, 1 preschool child, renting at HUD FY2027 FMR (2-bedroom, 40th-percentile gross rent), USDA Moderate-Cost food, center-based childcare (NDCP 2022, CPI-adjusted, 52 weeks), 2 cars at 12,000 mi/year each at 25 mpg, $500 + $500/month other goods/services (BEA RPP-adjusted), standard deduction, 2026 tax engine. Insurance is a user input and is excluded here for clarity (set to $1,800/year for ownership scenarios but not shown for renters).
| Budget line | Chicago/month | Austin/month |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes | ||
| Federal income tax | $653 | $653 |
| Social Security + Medicare | $765 | $765 |
| Illinois income tax | $459 | — |
| Texas income tax | — | $0 |
| Total taxes | $1,877 | $1,418 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent (2-BR FMR) | $2,011 | $1,817 |
| Food | ||
| USDA Moderate-Cost (RPP-adj.) | $1,076 | $941 |
| Childcare | ||
| Center-based, preschool (52 wk) | $1,002 | $1,107 |
| Transportation | ||
| Gasoline (2 cars, 12k mi ea.) | $329 | $310 |
| Other | ||
| Other goods (RPP-adjusted) | $536 | $469 |
| Other services (RPP-adjusted) | $502 | $481 |
| State sales tax (est.) | $34 | $29 |
| Total costs (excl. taxes) | $5,490 | $5,154 |
| Monthly surplus | $2,633 | $3,428 |
Source: MoveMath 2026 engine using IRS 2026 tax data, HUD FY2027 FMR, BEA 2024 RPP, USDA August 2026 food plans, NDCP 2022 CPI-adjusted, EIA energy data.
Key observations:
- Austin’s childcare ($1,107/month) is higher than Chicago’s ($1,002/month). Austin’s center-based preschool price (NDCP 2022, CPI-adjusted) is $209/week × 1.2224 × 52 weeks ÷ 12 = $1,107/month, versus Chicago’s $189/week = $1,002/month.
- Austin’s food ($941) is lower than Chicago’s ($1,076) because Austin’s BEA RPP goods index (93.8) is below 100 while Chicago’s (107.3) is above.
- The biggest single driver of Austin’s advantage is no Illinois income tax ($459 a month in Chicago, $5,506 a year). Rent saves $2,328 a year and food $1,625, while childcare costs Austin $1,260 a year more.
How to build your own relocation budget
Step 1: Define your household. Number of adults, income split (or single earner), number and ages of children, whether you are renting or buying.
Step 2: Enter costs that are standard data. Use MoveMath for rent (FMR or ACS median), food (USDA plan), childcare (NDCP CPI-adjusted), and taxes (2026 engine). These come from official sources.
Step 3: Add your actual variable costs. Gasoline based on your actual car miles and the EIA local price. Childcare weeks (52 is the default; reduce if school-age care applies only part-year).
Step 4: Add fixed costs that don’t change with location. Car payment, health insurance premium, student loan payments. In MoveMath, enter them in the “Fixed costs / month” field; the tools apply them equally in every city.
Step 5: Compare the surplus. The metro with the higher surplus at the same income is cheaper on a full-budget basis. The salary equivalence (what you need to earn in B to match A’s surplus) is the number to take to a salary negotiation.
Costs that are NOT in MoveMath’s standard model
Budget for these separately:
- Health insurance premiums: Highly variable by employer, plan type, and family size. Add your actual premium to the “Fixed costs / month” field.
- Car insurance: Varies by state, ZIP code, driving record and vehicle. MoveMath has no official source for premiums, so add your quote.
- Car payment / car loan: Add the monthly payment as a fixed cost.
- Internet / phone: Add your plan’s monthly cost.
- Entertainment, dining, travel: Above the “other services” baseline; add your actual budget.
- One-time moving costs: Truck or movers, deposits, travel and any overlap in housing. Get written quotes and budget them separately.
The salary equivalence number
MoveMath’s engine solves for the salary needed in the new city to produce the same annual surplus as the current city. For the Chicago-to-Austin family above:
- Chicago surplus at $120,000: $2,633/month ($31,591/year)
- Austin salary needed to match that surplus: $108,127
- Net pay cut they can accept: $11,873/year
This is the number to anchor a relocation salary conversation with an employer. See how to negotiate salary for a relocation for how to use it.
Related moving pages: Chicago to Dallas, Chicago to Houston, Chicago to Nashville. State pages: Illinois, Texas.