Phoenix vs Austin: where does a illustrator save more?
Best for saving: Austin — about $1,239/mo after taxes and living costs.
Phoenix US | Austin US ★ Best for saving | |
|---|---|---|
| Median salary | $55,923 | $60,796 |
| Take-home / mo | $3,733 | $4,149 |
| Income tax | ~20% | ~18% |
| Living costs / mo | $2,720 | $2,910 |
| Savings / mo | $1,013 | $1,239 |
| Savings rate | 27% | 30% |
| Verdict | Comfortable | 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 illustrator, adjusted per city.
• Tax: each country's single-filer effective rate (e.g. US ~20%, US ~18%).
• Living costs: a single professional's baseline monthly budget per city.
Estimates, not financial or tax advice. Updated 2026.