City comparison
Boston, MA vs Chicago, IL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 4.5% higher than in Chicago, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Chicago, IL would need about $104,500 in Boston, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $1,581 in Chicago, IL. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 26% in Chicago, IL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,780 a year in MA and $4,805 in IL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.3% moving from Boston, MA to Chicago, IL ($120,548 → $118,984), while prices change by −4.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.2% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much 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
| Boston, MA | Chicago, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,686 in Chicago | $104,509 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $1,581/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $74,375 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $4,805 (IL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $54,720 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 112.0 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 107.3 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 83.6 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 100.5 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Chicago, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.5%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$25/yr.
82 Strong offer
Chicago, IL → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.3%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax −$25/yr.
33 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Chicago, IL is in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Chicago, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Chicago, IL | Real change, Boston → Chicago |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $68,999 | +3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $83,482 | +3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $100,059 | +3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $118,984 | +3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $140,604 | +3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Chicago, IL | Chicago pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $78,390 | $81,925 (−16.5%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $134,380 | $140,439 (−15.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $82,360 | $86,074 (−14.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $100,490 | $105,021 (−1.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.