City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Naples, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Chicago, IL (103.6) and Naples, FL (103.2, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Chicago, IL goes as far as $99,600 in Naples, FL.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,797 a month in Naples, FL versus $1,581 in Chicago, IL. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Naples, 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 Naples, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.5% moving from Chicago, IL to Naples, FL ($118,984 → $106,437), while prices change by −0.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.2% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- Naples, FL: price level 103.2 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Chicago, IL | Naples, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,619 in Naples | $100,383 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,797/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% | 27% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $47,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Naples-Marco Island, FL MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Naples-Marco Island, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Naples |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 129.4 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 87.8 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Naples, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +0.4%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax −$4,805/yr.
67 Fair offer
Naples, FL → Chicago, IL
Roughly even
Buying power −0.4%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$4,805/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Naples, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Naples, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Naples, FL | Real change, Chicago → Naples |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $61,722 | −10.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $74,678 | −10.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $89,508 | −10.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $106,437 | −10.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $125,776 | −10.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Naples, FL | Naples pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $60,470 | $60,701 (−22.6%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $130,730 | $131,230 (−2.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $84,570 | $84,894 (+3.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $93,330 | $93,687 (−6.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.