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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Boston skyline
King of Hearts. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License
Chicago skyline
Diego Delso. CC BY-SA 3.0. Photo source · License

Boston vs Chicago

$460/mo more in Chicago

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical month
Less leftMore left

BostonChicagoAbout 862 miles apart, a flight.

  • Chicago leaves you more
  • Property tax 2.10%
  • Rent under 30% of pay

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,410/mo in Chicago. $1,950/mo in Boston. +$5,520 a year.

Boston

$1,950

left each month

Chicago

$2,410

+$460 vs Boston

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Chicago wins 3 of 4Boston 1 · ties 0
$6,626Take-home · Boston$6,063
$2,549Rent · Chicago$1,782
$2,127Other bills · Chicago$1,871
$1,950Left over · Chicago$2,410

Next

In 2022-2023, 1,388 households moved Boston → Chicago (avg AGI $111,755). 1,251 went the other way. The whole move →

+$460 / mo

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical monthBostonChicago
Less leftMore left
Chicago · this breakdownBoston · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Boston, MA and Chicago, IL
Per monthBostonChicagoDifference
Gross pay$9,042$8,184−$857
Income and payroll tax$2,416$2,121−$294
Take-home pay$6,626$6,063−$563
Rent$2,549$1,782−$767
Getting around$445$392−$53
Groceries$464$408−$56
Healthcare$522$459−$63
Utilities$290$255−$35
Everything else$406$357−$49
Left over$1,950$2,410+$460

Salary to match Boston

$90,000

Gross pay in Chicago that leaves the same amount as $108,500 in Boston.

Tax difference

+$481

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 26.7% in Boston, 25.9% in Chicago.

More about Chicago

Boston, MA in full

Great pay in medicine and research, brutal winters, tight housing stock.

Chicago, IL in full

World-class city amenities at Midwest home prices, funded by 2.1% property tax.

The other way

Start in Chicago.

Chicago → Boston →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Chicago than Boston?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Chicago leaves about $460 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $2,549 in Boston and $1,782 in Chicago.

Does Chicago have state income tax?

Chicago is in Illinois, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from Boston to Chicago?

The paycheck is taxed in Illinois. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.

Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Boston and Chicago changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.

Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.