City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 3.4% higher than in Port St. Lucie, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Port St. Lucie, FL would need about $103,400 in Chicago, IL to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL versus $1,467 in Port St. Lucie, FL. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 22% in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,805 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.7% moving from Chicago, IL to Port St. Lucie, FL ($118,984 → $113,356), while prices change by −3.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.5% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Chicago, IL | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,750 in Port St. Lucie | $103,359 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,467/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% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $46,490 |
| 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 Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,805/yr.
79 Strong offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$4,805/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Chicago → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $65,735 | −1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $79,533 | −1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $95,326 | −1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $113,356 | −1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $133,953 | −1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $53,610 | $55,411 (−29.3%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $128,510 | $132,827 (−1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $79,430 | $82,098 (−0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $82,090 | $84,848 (−15.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.