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Chicago, IL Cost of Living Calculator

Prices in the Chicago, IL area are 3.6% above the US average, and housing 12.0% above (BEA, 2024). Compare a salary here with anywhere else.

Prices in an average US city are 3.5% lower than in Chicago, IL, so $75,000 in Chicago, IL buys what $72,394 buys in an average US city.

The same living standard in an average US city
$72,394
Prices overall
-3.5%
Housing costs
-10.7%

Chicago, IL price levels by category (US average = 100)

CategoryPrice levelAgainst the US
All items103.63.6% above
Housing112.012.0% above
Goods107.37.3% above
Utilities83.616.4% below
Other services100.50.5% above

What $75,000 in Chicago, IL equals in other large metros

Metro areaEquivalent salaryPrices
New York, NY$81,5158.7%
Los Angeles, CA$82,2399.7%
Dallas, TX$74,638−0.5%
Houston, TX$71,380−4.8%
Washington, DC$78,8375.1%
Philadelphia, PA$74,276−1.0%
Atlanta, GA$72,466−3.4%
Miami, FL$82,67410.2%
Phoenix, AZ$74,783−0.3%
Boston, MA$78,4034.5%

How this calculator works

BEA regional price parities for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan area, 2024: the price of the same basket of goods and services against the US average (100). Equivalent salaries scale by the ratio of the two areas' price levels.

What it assumes

  • Before tax, and averaged across the whole metro area.

Questions people ask

Is Chicago expensive to live in?

Overall prices are 3.6% above the US average; housing is 12.0% above.

What salary do I need in Chicago, IL?

To match $75,000 in an average-cost place, about $77,700. The area's median household income is $90,887.

How much is rent in Chicago, IL?

The median gross rent (including utilities) is $1,430 a month (Census American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

How does Chicago, IL compare with New York?

New York prices are 8.7% relative to Chicago, IL: $75,000 here equals $81,515 there.

Nearby and large metro areas

Related calculators

  • Cost of Living CalculatorWhat salary in another city gives you the same standard of living, from the Bureau of Economic Analysis's 2024 price levels for 193 metro areas.
  • Chicago, IL Rent Affordability CalculatorThe median rent in the Chicago, IL area is $1,430 a month including utilities, which takes 19% of the median household income ($90,887). Paying it on 30% of income needs about $57,200 a year.
  • Paycheck CalculatorWhat you take home from each paycheck after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state income tax, with 2026 tax rates for every state.

Sources

Updated by the RateHerald team. The maths is tested against worked examples; report a problem.