City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Miami, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Miami, FL are 10.2% higher than in Chicago, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Chicago, IL would need about $110,200 in Miami, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,995 a month in Miami, FL versus $1,581 in Chicago, IL. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Miami, FL and 26% in Chicago, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,805 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Miami, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.7% moving from Chicago, IL to Miami, FL ($118,984 → $113,356), while prices change by +10.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −13.5% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- Miami, FL: price level 114.2 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Chicago, IL | Miami, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 114.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,194 in Miami | $90,749 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $48,640 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Miami |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 155.6 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 103.6 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 97.2 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 109.1 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 114.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Miami, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.3%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax −$4,805/yr.
32 Weak offer
Miami, FL → Chicago, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.2%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$4,805/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Miami, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Miami, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Miami, FL | Real change, Chicago → Miami |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $65,735 | −13.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $79,533 | −13.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $95,326 | −13.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $113,356 | −13.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $133,953 | −13.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Miami, FL | Miami pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $58,300 | $52,907 (−32.5%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $132,650 | $120,379 (−10.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $80,920 | $73,434 (−10.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $91,380 | $82,927 (−17.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.