City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Chicago, IL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 8.1% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $108,100 in Chicago, IL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $4,805 in IL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.9% moving from Buffalo, NY to Chicago, IL ($111,301 → $118,984), while prices change by +8.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.1% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- 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
| Buffalo, NY | Chicago, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,087 in Chicago | $92,518 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,581/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,375 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $4,805 (IL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $54,720 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 112.0 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 107.3 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 83.6 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 100.5 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.5%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$55/yr.
45 Weak offer
Chicago, IL → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$55/yr.
94 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Chicago, IL is in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Chicago, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Chicago, IL | Real change, Buffalo → Chicago |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $68,999 | −1.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $83,482 | −1.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $100,059 | −1.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $118,984 | −1.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $140,604 | −1.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Chicago, IL | Chicago pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $78,390 | $72,525 (−5.2%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $134,380 | $124,326 (−2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $82,360 | $76,198 (−7.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $100,490 | $92,971 (−6.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.