TL;DR — Key Takeaways
- →Compare net salary first, then put a cost-of-living index next to it.
- →A 0% income-tax headline ignores rent and daily prices.
- →The overlay is an index basket, not your personal budget.
- →Part-year stays should not be read as if you paid a full year of local prices.
Short answer
A zero-tax city wins on the tax line and can still lose once rent and prices are on the same page. Affordability is take-home compared with local costs, not the tax rate alone.
Run the salary on the calculator. Premium affordability overlay layers published cost-of-living multipliers on that net pay. Treat it as indicative. Your lease will not match the index basket, and a three-month stay is not a full year of city prices.
Educational planning only — not tax advice.