What salary do I need when I move?

What is the correct equivalent-salary formula?

The direct answer is to multiply your current salary by the destination-to-origin RPP ratio. The equivalent salary formula uses Regional Price Parities (RPP) from the Bureau of Economic Analysis:

Equivalent salary = current salary x (destination RPP / origin RPP)

This is a historical before-tax price-level illustration. It does not calculate the salary an individual household needs, its tax liability or its available moving cash.

Which source should I use for each part of the move?

Use the same RPP data year for both metros. Keep a separate list of actual household costs; do not add those costs to the RPP salary figure, which already reflects the overall consumption price level.

Question	Best source	How to use it
What salary keeps my same buying power?	BEA Regional Price Parities, data files retrieved October 4, 2026	Use the RPP ratio. BEA reports RPP as a percentage of the national average, where 100 is the U.S. average.
How much rent shock should I expect?	HUD Fair Market Rents, FY data tables, data files retrieved October 4, 2026	Use FY2027 FMR only as a historical area benchmark. HUD rent areas and BEA metros can differ; use your lease or landlord quote for current housing costs.
How do I adjust an old salary target for time?	BLS Consumer Price Index, accessed June 26, 2026	Use CPI for inflation over time; do not use it as a metro-to-metro cost ratio.

How do the worked examples behave?

Example 1: Moving to a more expensive city

You earn $90,000 in Denver (RPP 105.782) and are considering a job in Boston (RPP 108.266).

$90,000 x (108.266 / 105.782) = $92,100

The BEA 2024 before-tax illustration is $92,100. An offer above or below this benchmark still needs a separate check of take-home pay, benefits and actual spending.

Example 2: Moving to a cheaper city

You earn $120,000 in Seattle (RPP 111.133) and are considering Nashville (RPP 96.338).

$120,000 x (96.338 / 111.133) = $104,000

$104,000 is the historical RPP equivalent of $120,000 in Seattle. This benchmark alone does not determine whether the offer improves your household budget.

Example 3: No-income-tax adjustment

A top marginal tax rate applies only to the income in that bracket, not to an entire salary. Obtain take-home estimates using your filing status, income, work and home addresses, deductions and benefits. Keep those estimates separate from the gross RPP illustration; subtracting a rough tax saving from the index result is not a personal tax calculation.

What does the formula not capture?

• Property taxes. If you own a home, property tax rates vary enormously. Texas has high property taxes that partially offset the income-tax advantage.
• Healthcare costs. Employer-provided health insurance can vary significantly. RPP does capture out-of-pocket medical costs but not premium differences.
• Childcare. Use an actual provider quote and check availability for your dates.
• Commute costs. Car ownership costs, transit passes, and parking are included in RPP, but only at average levels. Compare your actual commuting costs in a separate household budget; do not add them wholesale to the RPP salary illustration.

Use the ReloMath calculator to run the equivalent salary formula instantly for any two verified U.S. metros.

How was this verified?

Definitions and the SF, NYC and Austin historical rows were checked September 14, 2026. On October 4, 2026, all 67 cost records were refreshed to BEA 2024 and HUD FY2027 using an explicit geographic crosswalk. See dated source tables and area names. Build a budget summary with your own salary, lease and quote.