Hartford, CT → Chicago, IL
Moving to Chicago costs you $28 a month
−$336 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
| Per month | Hartford | Chicago | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $8,125 | $8,203 | +$78 |
| Income and payroll tax | $2,095 | $2,128 | +$33 |
| Take-home pay | $6,030 | $6,075 | +$45 |
| Rent | $1,614 | $1,828 | +$214 |
| Getting around | $519 | $392 | −$127 |
| Groceries | $412 | $408 | −$4 |
| Healthcare | $464 | $459 | −$5 |
| Utilities | $258 | $255 | −$3 |
| Everything else | $361 | $357 | −$4 |
| Left over | $2,404 | $2,376 | −$28 |
To break even in Chicago, you'd need to earn
$99,000
Household gross, versus $97,500 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Hartford does now.
The tax difference alone
−$123
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 25.8% in Hartford, 25.9% in Chicago.
Hartford, CT in full
Insurance-industry wages, cheap houses, and a 1.78% property tax rate.
Chicago, IL in full
World-class city amenities at Midwest home prices, funded by 2.1% property tax.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from Chicago on Chicago wages.
Chicago → Hartford →Rent is Zillow's asking rent for each metro; taxes and living costs are modelled. An estimate, not a quote or tax advice. How this is calculated.