Kansas City vs Austin: where does a game designer save more?
Best for saving: Austin — about $1,499/mo after taxes and living costs.
Kansas City US | Austin US ★ Best for saving | |
|---|---|---|
| Median salary | $59,990 | $65,060 |
| Take-home / mo | $3,859 | $4,409 |
| Income tax | ~23% | ~19% |
| Living costs / mo | $2,460 | $2,910 |
| Savings / mo | $1,399 | $1,499 |
| Savings rate | 36% | 34% |
| Verdict | Excellent | Comfortable |
Single professional, after-tax. "Savings" = take-home − a baseline cost of living. A planning estimate, not financial advice.
How we calculated this
• Salary: BLS/OECD median for a game designer, adjusted per city.
• Tax: each country's single-filer effective rate (e.g. US ~23%, US ~19%).
• Living costs: a single professional's baseline monthly budget per city.
Estimates, not financial or tax advice. Updated 2026.