City comparison
Austin, TX vs Chicago, IL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 5.6% higher than in Austin, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Austin, TX would need about $105,600 in Chicago, IL to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,562 a month in Austin, TX and $1,581 in Chicago, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,805 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.7% moving from Austin, TX to Chicago, IL ($109,428 → $118,984), while prices change by +5.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.9% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- 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
| Austin, TX | Chicago, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,638 in Chicago | $94,663 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,581/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,375 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,805 (IL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $54,720 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 112.0 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 107.3 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 83.6 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 100.5 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$4,805/yr.
51 Fair offer
Chicago, IL → Austin, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$4,805/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Chicago, IL is in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Chicago, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Chicago, IL | Real change, Austin → Chicago |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $68,999 | +2.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $83,482 | +2.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $100,059 | +2.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $118,984 | +2.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $140,604 | +2.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Chicago, IL | Chicago pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $78,390 | $74,206 (+21.1%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $134,380 | $127,208 (−5.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $82,360 | $77,964 (−6.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $100,490 | $95,127 (−2.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.