City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 2.7% higher than in Salt Lake City, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Salt Lake City, UT would need about $102,700 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 $1,456 in Salt Lake City, UT. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 23% in Salt Lake City, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,271 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.5% moving from Chicago, IL to Salt Lake City, UT ($118,984 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.1% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Chicago, IL | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,368 in Salt Lake City | $102,704 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,456/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% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,271/yr.
77 Strong offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$1,271/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Chicago → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $61,722 | −8.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $74,678 | −8.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $89,508 | −8.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $106,437 | −8.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $125,776 | −8.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $77,920 | $80,027 (+2.1%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $129,600 | $133,104 (−0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $82,100 | $84,320 (+2.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $85,890 | $88,212 (−12.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.