City comparison
Chicago, IL vs El Paso, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 15.2% higher than in El Paso, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in El Paso, TX would need about $115,200 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 $1,013 in El Paso, TX. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 15% in El Paso, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,805 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in El Paso, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.5% moving from Chicago, IL to El Paso, TX ($118,984 → $106,437), while prices change by −13.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.1% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- El Paso, TX: price level 89.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Chicago, IL | El Paso, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 89.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $86,792 in El Paso | $115,218 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,013/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $39,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and El Paso, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | El Paso |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 71.2 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 82.6 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 89.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → El Paso, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$4,805/yr.
100 Strong offer
El Paso, TX → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.2%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$4,805/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; El Paso, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to El Paso, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | El Paso, TX | Real change, Chicago → El Paso |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $61,722 | +3.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $74,678 | +3.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $89,508 | +3.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $106,437 | +3.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $125,776 | +3.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | El Paso, TX | El Paso pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $63,800 | $73,509 (−6.2%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $127,310 | $146,684 (+9.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $65,990 | $76,032 (−7.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $86,100 | $99,203 (−1.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.