Uprootmap
Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
Uprootmap
Chicago skyline
Diego Delso. CC BY-SA 3.0. Photo source · License
Madison skyline
Dori. CC BY 2.5. Photo source · License

Chicago vs Madison

$205/mo more in Madison

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

ChicagoMadisonAbout 128 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • Madison leaves you more
  • Property tax 1.60%
  • Rent under 30% of pay

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,631/mo in Madison. $2,426/mo in Chicago. +$2,460 a year.

Chicago

$2,426

left each month

Madison

$2,631

+$205 vs Chicago

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Madison wins 2 of 4Chicago 2 · ties 0
$6,079Take-home · Chicago$5,876
$1,782Rent · Madison$1,330
$1,871Other bills · Chicago$1,915
$2,426Left over · Madison$2,631

Next

In 2022-2023, 1,278 households moved Chicago → Madison (avg AGI $76,427). 995 went the other way. The whole move →

+$205 / 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 monthChicagoMadison
Less leftMore left
Madison · this breakdownChicago · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Chicago, IL and Madison, WI
Per monthChicagoMadisonDifference
Gross pay$8,208$7,818−$391
Income and payroll tax$2,130$1,942−$188
Take-home pay$6,079$5,876−$203
Rent$1,782$1,330−$452
Getting around$392$509+$117
Groceries$408$388−$20
Healthcare$459$437−$22
Utilities$255$243−$12
Everything else$357$340−$17
Left over$2,426$2,631+$205

Salary to match Chicago

$90,000

Gross pay in Madison that leaves the same amount as $98,500 in Chicago.

Tax difference

+$864

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 25.9% in Chicago, 24.8% in Madison.

More about Madison

Chicago, IL in full

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

Madison, WI in full

A university town with big-city wages and small-city commutes.

The other way

Start in Madison.

Madison → Chicago →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Madison than Chicago?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Madison leaves about $205 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,782 in Chicago and $1,330 in Madison.

Does Madison have state income tax?

Madison is in Wisconsin, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from Chicago to Madison?

The paycheck is taxed in Wisconsin. 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 Chicago and Madison 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.