2026 Relocation & Cost Arbitrage Engine

Relocation: Missoula, MT to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX

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 Missoula, MT to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.

Popular Corridors:
Equivalent Salary
$111,200
To maintain parity
Cost of Living Delta
+11.2%
Overall expenditure basket
Annual Tax Delta
+$4,289
State + local taxes
Annual 1BR Rent Delta
+$1,164
HUD Fair Market Rents
Net Annual Buffer
+$3,125/yr
Tax + housing gain

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.

Presets:
$
$30,000 $100,000 $200,000 $300,000
Origin Location

Missoula, MT

COL 112.9
Gross Annual Income $100,000
Federal Income Tax -$13,170
FICA (SS & Medicare) -$7,650
State Income Tax -$4,289
Local / City Tax $0
Net Annual Take-Home $74,891
HUD 1BR Fair Market Rent -$17,196
Discretionary Cash Flow $57,695
Target Market
Destination Location

Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX

COL 125.6
Gross Parity Income $111,200
Federal Income Tax -$15,634
FICA (SS & Medicare) -$8,507
State Income Tax $0 (No State Tax)
Local / City Tax $0
Net Annual Take-Home $87,059
HUD 1BR Fair Market Rent -$18,360
Discretionary Cash Flow $68,699

EPI family budgets put living costs 11.2% higher in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX than in Missoula, MT, so $100,000 in Missoula goes about as far as $111,200 in Austin. HUD's one-bedroom Fair Market Rent is $1,433 a month in Missoula and $1,530 in Austin, $1,164 a year more. On the same $100,000 salary a single filer pays $4,289 less a year in federal, state and local income tax and FICA in Austin. Taxes and one-bedroom rent together leave you about $3,125 a year better off. The BLS median wage across all occupations is $47,830 in Missoula and $56,950 in Austin.

Itemized Cost of Living Expenditure Arbitrage

Category-by-category breakdown of monthly baseline consumption between origin and destination.

Expenditure Category Missoula (Monthly) Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos (Monthly) Monthly Delta ($) Difference (%)
Housing (1BR Fair Market Rent)$1,433$1,530+$97+6.8%
Food & Groceries$368$334-$34-9.2%
Transportation$1,052$1,062+$10+1.0%
Healthcare$435$467+$32+7.4%
Other Necessities$462$585+$123+26.6%
Total Taxes (Federal, State, Local, FICA)$2,092$1,735-$357-17.1%

HUD Fair Market Rent Differential

1-Bedroom Fair Market Rent +$97/mo (6.8%)
Missoula: $1,433/mo Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos: $1,530/mo
2-Bedroom Fair Market Rent +$127/mo (7.5%)
Missoula: $1,690/mo Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos: $1,817/mo

EPI Living Wage Benchmark Comparison

1 Adult (No Children) +$2.80/hr (11.2%)
Missoula: $24.97/hr Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos: $27.77/hr
2 Adults + 1 Child (per earner) +$0.37/hr (1.6%)
Missoula: $23.41/hr Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos: $23.78/hr

Top Local Occupations Wage Parity

BLS median wage comparisons across benchmark roles between both metropolitan labor markets.

Occupation Title Industry Sector Missoula Median Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos Median Nominal Wage Delta Action
General and Operations ManagersFinance & ManagementFinance & Management$81,120$117,850+$36,730 (+45.3%)View Dossier
Registered Nurse (RN)HealthcareHealthcare$82,160$97,890+$15,730 (+19.1%)View Dossier
Project Management SpecialistBusiness OperationsBusiness Operations$84,250$102,390+$18,140 (+21.5%)View Dossier
Accountant & AuditorFinanceFinance$72,920$83,120+$10,200 (+14.0%)View Dossier
Computer and Information Systems ManagersFinance & ManagementFinance & Management$133,020$176,990+$43,970 (+33.1%)View Dossier
Solutions ArchitectTechnologyTechnology$81,530$129,470+$47,940 (+58.8%)View Dossier
Sales ManagersFinance & ManagementFinance & Management$121,680$151,760+$30,080 (+24.7%)View Dossier
ElectricianSkilled TradesSkilled Trades$79,250$60,390-$18,860 (-23.8%)View Dossier
Financial ManagerFinanceFinance$128,740$167,180+$38,440 (+29.9%)View Dossier
Marketing ManagersFinance & ManagementFinance & Management$139,630$164,920+$25,290 (+18.1%)View Dossier
Management AnalystBusiness OperationsBusiness Operations$46,350$106,600+$60,250 (+130.0%)View Dossier
Construction ManagersFinance & ManagementFinance & Management$99,840$102,980+$3,140 (+3.1%)View Dossier

Major US Inter-Metro Relocation Corridors

Empirical cost differentials and statutory tax savings across high-volume migration routes.

New York-Newark-Jersey City → Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos

On $100k: $8,301 less tax and $14,388 less 1BR rent a year

-30.6% COL+$22,689/yr
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont → Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos

On $100k: $6,211 less tax and $17,676 less 1BR rent a year

-30.4% COL+$23,887/yr
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin → Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington

On $100k: $4,805 less tax and $2,928 less 1BR rent a year

-2.2% COL+$7,733/yr
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont → Columbus

On $100k: $1,729 less tax and $19,884 less 1BR rent a year

-41.0% COL+$21,613/yr
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim → Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler

On $100k: $4,113 less tax and $10,908 less 1BR rent a year

-13.5% COL+$15,021/yr
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue → Denver-Aurora-Centennial

On $100k: $3,761 more tax and $4,188 less 1BR rent a year

-13.6% COL+$427/yr
Boston-Cambridge-Newton → Raleigh-Cary

On $100k: $1,299 less tax and $11,592 less 1BR rent a year

-16.2% COL+$12,891/yr
New York-Newark-Jersey City → Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach

On $100k: $8,301 less tax and $7,296 less 1BR rent a year

-27.3% COL+$15,597/yr

Missoula, MT to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX Relocation FAQs

About $111,200. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (112.9 in Missoula, MT, 125.6 in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX, from EPI family budgets); taxes are compared separately below.

Triangular Relocation & Tax Silo

Missoula, MT to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX: State Paychecks, Rents & Reciprocal Corridor

Reverse Route: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX to Missoula, MT
Relocation: Missoula, MT to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX Overview

Missoula, MT to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX: 2026 federal, state & local income tax, HUD Fair Market Rents & EPI living costs compared on the same salary.

Quick answers
How much salary do I need in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX to match $100,000 in Missoula, MT?

About $111,200. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (112.9 in Missoula, MT, 125.6 in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX, from EPI family budgets); taxes are compared separately below.

Is Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX cheaper than Missoula, MT?

EPI's family budgets for a single adult put overall living costs 11.2% higher in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX than in Missoula, MT. The budgets cover housing, food, transportation, health care and other necessities.