Relocation: Austin-Round Rock, TX to Chicago Metro, IL-IN
Data updated · Sources: HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology
Income tax, HUD Fair Market Rents and EPI living costs for a move from Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX to Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.
Interactive Purchasing Power Equivalency Workbench
Adjust your current salary at origin to dynamically compute the statutory tax burden, housing costs, and discretionary cash in both markets.
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Itemized Cost of Living Expenditure Arbitrage
Category-by-category breakdown of monthly baseline consumption between origin and destination.
| Expenditure Category | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos (Monthly) | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin (Monthly) | Monthly Delta ($) | Difference (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing (1BR Fair Market Rent) | $1,530 | $1,780 | +$250 | +16.3% |
| Food & Groceries | $334 | $385 | +$51 | +15.3% |
| Transportation | $1,062 | $947 | -$115 | -10.8% |
| Healthcare | $467 | $416 | -$51 | -10.9% |
| Other Necessities | $585 | $572 | -$13 | -2.2% |
| Total Taxes (Federal, State, Local, FICA) | $1,735 | $2,135 | +$400 | +23.1% |
HUD Fair Market Rent Differential
EPI Living Wage Benchmark Comparison
Top Local Occupations Wage Parity
BLS median wage comparisons across benchmark roles between both metropolitan labor markets.
| Occupation Title | Industry Sector | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos Median | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin Median | Nominal Wage Delta | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $117,850 | $109,390 | -$8,460 (-7.2%) | View Dossier |
| Registered Nurse (RN)Healthcare | Healthcare | $97,890 | $100,490 | +$2,600 (+2.7%) | View Dossier |
| Software EngineerTechnology | Technology | $134,120 | $134,380 | +$260 (+0.2%) | View Dossier |
| Accountant & AuditorFinance | Finance | $83,120 | $82,360 | -$760 (-0.9%) | View Dossier |
| Financial ManagerFinance | Finance | $167,180 | $168,810 | +$1,630 (+1.0%) | View Dossier |
| Management AnalystBusiness Operations | Business Operations | $106,600 | $105,090 | -$1,510 (-1.4%) | View Dossier |
| Project Management SpecialistBusiness Operations | Business Operations | $102,390 | $105,320 | +$2,930 (+2.9%) | View Dossier |
| Computer and Information Systems ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $176,990 | $173,760 | -$3,230 (-1.8%) | View Dossier |
| Sales ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $151,760 | $158,690 | +$6,930 (+4.6%) | View Dossier |
| Quality Control InspectorIndustrial Manufacturing | Industrial Manufacturing | $48,260 | $48,230 | -$30 (-0.1%) | View Dossier |
| ElectricianSkilled Trades | Skilled Trades | $60,390 | $102,350 | +$41,960 (+69.5%) | View Dossier |
| Marketing ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $164,920 | $165,340 | +$420 (+0.3%) | View Dossier |
Major US Inter-Metro Relocation Corridors
Empirical cost differentials and statutory tax savings across high-volume migration routes.
On $100k: $8,301 less tax and $14,388 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $6,211 less tax and $17,676 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $4,805 less tax and $2,928 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $1,729 less tax and $19,884 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $4,113 less tax and $10,908 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $3,761 more tax and $4,188 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $1,299 less tax and $11,592 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $8,301 less tax and $7,296 less 1BR rent a year
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX to Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN Relocation FAQs
About $100,200. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (125.6 in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX, 125.8 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, from EPI family budgets); taxes are compared separately below.
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX to Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: State Paychecks, Rents & Reciprocal Corridor
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX to Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 2026 federal, state & local income tax, HUD Fair Market Rents & EPI living costs compared. Official 2026 economic data for Relocation: Austin-Round Rock, TX to Chicago Metro, IL-IN compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.
Quick answers
About $100,200. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (125.6 in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX, 125.8 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, from EPI family budgets); taxes are compared separately below.
EPI's family budgets for a single adult put overall living costs 0.2% higher in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN than in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX. The budgets cover housing, food, transportation, health care and other necessities.