U.S.A.
Cost of Living in U.S.A.
A quick read on net pay, neighborhoods you can actually afford, and what's left at the end of the month.
Living in U.S.A. costs from roughly $2,981/month for one person (rent plus essentials) in its most affordable city, while the median local salary is about $7,000/month.
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What it costs to live in U.S.A.
Across AffordWhere's U.S.A. dataset, average 1-bedroom rent ranges from about $1,717 per month in Phoenix to $3,117 in San Jose — a 82% difference for the same apartment size. A single person's all-in monthly budget (rent plus tracked essentials) starts around $2,981 in Phoenix and reaches about $6,429 in San Jose. On the median gross salary of $7,000 per month, take-home pay in U.S.A. is roughly $5,623 after an effective 19.7% in tax and contributions.
| City | Avg 1BR rent /mo | Est. monthly budget (solo) |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix | $1,717 | $2,981 |
| San Antonio | $1,368 | $3,208 |
| Austin | $1,939 | $3,237 |
| Dallas | $1,917 | $3,241 |
| Atlanta | $1,994 | $3,346 |
| Philadelphia | $2,017 | $3,363 |
| Chicago | $2,039 | $3,534 |
| Minneapolis | $1,585 | $3,609 |
| Denver | $2,106 | $3,610 |
| Houston | $1,638 | $3,755 |
| Seattle | $2,283 | $3,904 |
| San Diego | $2,517 | $3,946 |
| Washington DC | $2,467 | $3,974 |
| Portland | $1,802 | $4,057 |
| Miami | $2,672 | $4,239 |
| Los Angeles | $2,811 | $4,433 |
| Boston | $2,978 | $4,654 |
| New York | $3,420 | $5,272 |
| San Francisco | $3,500 | $5,384 |
| San Jose | $3,117 | $6,429 |
Budget = average 1-bedroom rent across tracked neighborhoods plus tracked monthly essentials (groceries, transport, utilities, and more). Sources on our data sources page.
Common questions about U.S.A.
Cities across U.S.A.
Calculate your net salary in U.S.A.
U.S.A. Income Tax Calculator
Take-home pay at common salary levels, with the full breakdown: income tax, social contributions, health insurance. Rates come straight from the government.
Top U.S.A. salary benchmarks
What does it actually cost to live in each city? Budget, comfortable, and premium tiers.
- Salary needed in New YorkActual costs plus tax, worked back to a gross figure
- Salary needed in Los AngelesActual costs plus tax, worked back to a gross figure
- Salary needed in San FranciscoActual costs plus tax, worked back to a gross figure
- Salary needed in ChicagoActual costs plus tax, worked back to a gross figure
- Salary needed in SeattleActual costs plus tax, worked back to a gross figure
- Salary needed in AustinActual costs plus tax, worked back to a gross figure
Moving to U.S.A.?
Pick your starting point. Each guide digs into cost of living, visas, and realistic salaries for that specific move.
Moving to U.S.A.? Start with the numbers.
The gross salary on your offer letter isn't what lands in your account. Type yours in and you'll see:
- Net monthly income after every deduction
- A line-by-line tax breakdown — income tax and social contributions
- Your effective tax rate
- How cost of living compares city by city
- Neighborhoods you can actually afford
Figures use 2026 tax rates from official U.S.A. government sources. Full attribution lives on our data sources page.