City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Chicago, IL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 1.8% higher than in Chicago, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Chicago, IL would need about $101,800 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL versus $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,805 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.1% moving from Anchorage, AK to Chicago, IL ($120,348 → $118,984), while prices change by −1.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.6% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Anchorage, AK | Chicago, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,269 in Chicago | $101,762 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $1,581/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,375 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $4,805 (IL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $54,720 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 112.0 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 107.3 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 83.6 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 100.5 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Chicago, IL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$4,805/yr.
73 Strong offer
Chicago, IL → Anchorage, AK
Roughly even
Buying power −1.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$4,805/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Chicago, IL is in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Chicago, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Chicago, IL | Real change, Anchorage → Chicago |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $68,999 | +0.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $83,482 | +0.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $100,059 | +0.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $118,984 | +0.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $140,604 | +0.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Chicago, IL | Chicago pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $78,390 | $79,771 (+0.6%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $134,380 | $136,747 (+31.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $82,360 | $83,811 (+2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $100,490 | $102,260 (−11.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.