Compare Cities Side by Side
One income, up to three destinations. See net income, taxes, housing costs, and monthly flexibility for each city at once.
US, Caribbean, Asia, Europe, South America, or worldwide, pick a region and compare.
Rent and home price default to each city's typical values, no need to look them up yourself. Adjust the shared assumptions below if you want.
On $120,000 a year, Austin leaves the most each month after housing: $5,201. That is $1,478 a month more than staying in New York City. Charlotte leaves the least, $4,948, a gap of $253 a month.
| Metric | AustinMost left after housing | Charlotte |
|---|---|---|
| Net monthly income | $6,991 | $6,674 |
| Effective tax rate | 20.1% | 23.3% |
| Est. rent + extras | $1,790 | $1,726 |
| Housing as % of net income | 25.6% | 25.9% |
| Left after housing | $5,201 | $4,948 |
| Flexibility vs New York City | +$1,478/mo | +$1,225/mo |
How this comparison works
Enter your income once, pick a region, then add up to three target destinations. For US cities, take-home pay uses the same federal, state, and city tax engine as the main relocation calculator, and you can switch between renting and buying. For international and Caribbean destinations, tax uses each region's simplified estimator and housing reflects typical monthly living costs for that destination.
For an exact scenario with your own rent, home price, savings, or country-specific tax follow-up questions, use the full relocation calculator for US moves, or the matching regional calculator for a single international destination.
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Sources and limits
Written and maintained by Relocation By Numbers. Sources and limits reviewed October 13, 2026. Found a mistake? Tell us in the feedback box below. Full methodology
Sources
- U.S. Treasury Reporting Rates of Exchange, as of September 30, 2026 (exchange rates)
- IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 3.39: 2026 foreign earned income exclusion ($132,900)
- IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32: 2026 tax brackets and standard deduction
- Social Security Administration: U.S. international Social Security agreements (self-employment coverage)
Exchange rates are the U.S. Treasury's quarterly reporting rates (September 30, 2026), not live market rates. U.S. tax uses the 2026 IRS figures. Tax rules for other countries were refreshed in October 2026 from each country's tax authority or, where its site could not be read, from adviser summaries; each country's rules and caveats are listed in the code, and many are labeled simplified. Rent defaults come from official statistics for the U.S. cities (Census Bureau), London (Office for National Statistics), Lisbon and Porto (Statistics Portugal), Toronto (Statistics Canada), Singapore (Housing and Development Board), Taipei (Ministry of the Interior), Seoul (Korea Real Estate Board) and Hong Kong (Rating and Valuation Department). For about 35 other cities, rent is a market estimate for a one-bedroom apartment in the city centre from Numbeo, Lamudi or Yellowkey (checked October 14, 2026), not an official average. Grocery, utility, transport, healthcare and setup defaults are planning assumptions, not government figures; some carry an official household-spending reference for comparison. Verify all of them locally before a major decision.
Not included
- U.S. tax owed while living abroad is added only if you tick the U.S. citizen or green-card box; it covers federal income tax only, not self-employment, Social Security or state tax.
- Housing and living costs use each destination's typical values and tax uses a simplified estimate; use the matching regional calculator for a country-specific breakdown.
- Tax assumes remote or foreign-sourced income where applicable.