Chicago vs Austin: where does a legal analyst save more?
Best for saving: Austin — about $2,397/mo after taxes and living costs.
Chicago US | Austin US ★ Best for saving | |
|---|---|---|
| Median salary | $75,106 | $80,323 |
| Take-home / mo | $4,696 | $5,307 |
| Income tax | ~25% | ~21% |
| Living costs / mo | $3,220 | $2,910 |
| Savings / mo | $1,476 | $2,397 |
| Savings rate | 31% | 45% |
| Verdict | Comfortable | Excellent |
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 legal analyst, adjusted per city.
• Tax: each country's single-filer effective rate (e.g. US ~25%, US ~21%).
• Living costs: a single professional's baseline monthly budget per city.
Estimates, not financial or tax advice. Updated 2026.