City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Provo, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 5.5% higher than in Provo, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Provo, UT would need about $105,500 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 $1,265 in Provo, UT. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 20% in Provo, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,271 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Provo, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.5% moving from Chicago, IL to Provo, UT ($118,984 → $106,437), while prices change by −5.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.7% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- Provo, UT: price level 98.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Chicago, IL | Provo, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,823 in Provo | $105,460 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,265/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $48,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Provo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 104.1 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 78.6 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Provo, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,271/yr.
86 Strong offer
Provo, UT → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.2%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$1,271/yr.
52 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Provo, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Provo, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Provo, UT | Real change, Chicago → Provo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $61,722 | −5.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $74,678 | −5.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $89,508 | −5.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $106,437 | −5.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $125,776 | −5.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Provo, UT | Provo pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $62,930 | $66,366 (−15.3%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $131,210 | $138,373 (+3.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $75,700 | $79,833 (−3.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $81,780 | $86,245 (−14.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.