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Chicago vs Atlanta: cost of living, pay and jobs compared
Atlanta is the cheaper place to live: overall prices run 4% lower than in Chicago, and housing runs 1% lower. Chicago pays more in dollars (a typical official wage of $54,500 against $51,000), and after local prices are counted the typical paycheck goes further in Chicago ($53,000 against $51,000 in average-US dollars).
The short answer
- Prices: Chicago runs 4% higher than Atlanta overall, and housing runs 1% higher.
- To keep the buying power of $100,000 in Atlanta, you need about $103,500 in Chicago. To keep $100,000 from Chicago, you need about $96,500 in Atlanta.
- Official median wage for all jobs: $54,500 in Chicago, $51,000 in Atlanta.
- Median pay listed in open postings: $132,000 in Chicago, $134,500 in Atlanta.
- Open postings in our data: 5,914 in Chicago from 845 employers, 3,771 in Atlanta from 623 employers.
- Unemployment: 5.2% in Chicago, 3.4% in Atlanta (BLS).
Chicago and Atlanta side by side
| Measure | Chicago | Atlanta | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (US = 100) | 103.6 | 100.1 | Atlanta |
| Housing price level | 112 | 111 | About the same |
| Official median wage, all jobs | $54,500 | $51,000 | Chicago |
| Paycheck power (wage adjusted for prices) | $53,000 | $51,000 | Chicago |
| Median pay in open postings | $132,000 | $134,500 | Atlanta |
| Postings that list pay | 46.2% | 25.9% | Chicago |
| Open postings in our data | 5,914 | 3,771 | – |
| Employers hiring in our data | 845 | 623 | – |
| Unemployment rate (BLS) | 5.2% | 3.4% | Atlanta |
| Postings open more than 60 days | 30.3% | 25.9% | Atlanta |
| Median days a posting has been open | 30 | 30 | About the same |
| Entry-level share of postings | 11.1% | 13.2% | – |
| Remote share of postings | 8.2% | 7.5% | – |
| Indeed postings index vs Feb 2020 | -13.6% | +12.7% | Atlanta |
"Edge" shows which area looks better on that measure (lower prices, higher pay, lower unemployment, fewer stale postings); counts and shares have no edge. Within 2% counts as about the same.
Cost of living
Chicago prices sit 103.6 against a US average of 100 and Atlanta at 100.1. The biggest difference is housing: 112 in Chicago against 111 in Atlanta. Utilities are 13% lower in Chicago. The index covers goods and services including rent and home costs, so it measures what a typical household spends, not what your own budget looks like.
| Price level (US = 100) | Chicago | Atlanta | Chicago vs Atlanta |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 103.6 | 100.1 | 4% higher |
| Housing | 112 | 111 | 1% higher |
| Goods | 107.3 | 100.4 | 7% higher |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 96.2 | 13% lower |
| Other services | 100.5 | 96.7 | 4% higher |
What a salary is worth in each place
Each row keeps your purchasing power the same. The left half moves a salary from Atlanta to Chicago; the right half moves it the other way. "If only housing moved" uses the housing price level alone, for someone whose biggest cost is rent or a mortgage.
| Salary in Atlanta | Matching salary in Chicago | If only housing moved | Salary in Chicago | Matching salary in Atlanta | If only housing moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $52,000 | $50,500 | $50,000 | $48,500 | $49,500 |
| $75,000 | $77,500 | $75,500 | $75,000 | $72,500 | $74,500 |
| $100,000 | $103,500 | $101,000 | $100,000 | $96,500 | $99,000 |
| $125,000 | $129,500 | $126,000 | $125,000 | $120,500 | $124,000 |
| $150,000 | $155,500 | $151,500 | $150,000 | $145,000 | $148,500 |
| $200,000 | $207,000 | $202,000 | $200,000 | $193,000 | $198,000 |
As hourly pay (2,080 hours a year): $100,000 a year is about $48.10 an hour; the matching figure is about $49.78 an hour in Chicago for someone earning $100,000 in Atlanta.
Pay for the same job
Across the 58 occupations that the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures in both areas, the median wage is higher in Chicago for 46 and higher in Atlanta for 12. After local prices are counted, Chicago comes out ahead in 34 and Atlanta in 24. The widest gap among the 15 largest occupations is waiters and waitresses: $31,200 in Chicago against $18,500 in Atlanta.
| Occupation (15 largest) | Chicago median | Atlanta median | Chicago adjusted for prices | Atlanta adjusted for prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $40,600 | $39,000 | $39,100 | $39,000 |
| General and Operations Managers | $109,400 | $111,400 | $105,600 | $111,300 |
| Retail Salespersons | $35,800 | $32,900 | $34,600 | $32,800 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $34,600 | $27,800 | $33,400 | $27,800 |
| Registered Nurses | $100,500 | $100,500 | $97,000 | $100,400 |
| Cashiers | $35,000 | $30,000 | $33,800 | $30,000 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $38,200 | $29,900 | $36,900 | $29,900 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $47,100 | $42,700 | $45,500 | $42,700 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $38,500 | $36,200 | $37,100 | $36,100 |
| Office Clerks, General | $46,300 | $43,300 | $44,700 | $43,300 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $62,300 | $59,100 | $60,100 | $59,100 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $38,500 | $35,900 | $37,100 | $35,900 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $31,200 | $18,500 | $30,100 | $18,400 |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $70,700 | $79,000 | $68,300 | $78,900 |
| Software Developers | $134,400 | $133,000 | $129,700 | $132,900 |
Median annual wage for everyone in the occupation, all employers, May 2025 (BLS). "Adjusted" divides the wage by the area's price level (BEA, US = 100), so dollars are comparable.
Pay employers are offering right now
The wages above are what people earn in jobs they already hold. Open postings show what employers are offering today. In the job families where both areas have at least 15 postings that list pay, the median listed salary is higher in Chicago for 8 of 11 and higher in Atlanta for 3. Posted pay tends to run above the all-worker median because it leans toward hiring for experienced roles at larger employers.
| Job family | Chicago median listed pay | Postings | Atlanta median listed pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | $123,500 | 346 | $125,000 | 143 |
| Marketing | $132,500 | 105 | $142,500 | 46 |
| Operations and logistics | $107,500 | 113 | $104,000 | 35 |
| Software developers | $192,000 | 84 | $173,500 | 38 |
| Finance and accounting | $137,500 | 62 | $113,000 | 35 |
| Legal and compliance | $175,000 | 75 | $145,000 | 21 |
| Product and design | $147,500 | 66 | $140,000 | 29 |
| Nursing and clinical care | $151,000 | 38 | $97,500 | 42 |
| Software engineering | $183,000 | 52 | $167,500 | 17 |
| Data and analytics | $140,500 | 44 | $135,000 | 19 |
| Security and IT | $153,000 | 33 | $180,000 | 17 |
Only postings that list a salary are counted. Median of the middle of each listed range. Job families need at least 15 such postings in both areas to appear.
Who is hiring
Chicago's postings lean toward healthcare & life sciences (17.5%), while Atlanta's lean toward software & technology (17.4%). The mix matters because pay and hiring conditions differ a lot by industry.
- Largest posters in Chicago: Ntrs (203), Blueskytelepsych (141), DoorDash USA (99), Meijer (89), Arco (78).
- Largest posters in Atlanta: RaceTrac (190), Floor & Decor (97), CenterWell (73), DoorDash USA (61), Invesco (61).
Counts are open postings on each employer's own career page in our data; one big employer can shape a local market.
The job market
- Postings have been open a median of 30 days in Chicago and 30 in Atlanta; 30.3% and 25.9% have been open more than 60 days.
- Entry-level roles are 11.1% of postings in Chicago and 13.2% in Atlanta; senior and above are 41.6% and 41.4%.
- Fully remote roles are 8.2% of postings in Chicago and 7.5% in Atlanta.
- Indeed's postings index sits 13.6% below its February 2020 level in Chicago and 12.7% above in Atlanta.
- 46.2% of postings in Chicago list pay, against 25.9% in Atlanta.
Which is better for you?
- If you can keep your current salary and move, the place with the lower price level (Atlanta) stretches it further: $100,000 in Chicago has the buying power of about $96,500 in Atlanta.
- If you will be paid the local going rate, Chicago comes out ahead after prices on the typical wage ($53,000 against $51,000).
- Software developers: median listed pay is $192,000 in Chicago and $173,500 in Atlanta, which is $185,500 and $173,000 in average-US dollars.
- If housing is your biggest cost, the gap there (112 vs 111) matters more than the overall index.
No place is better for everyone. Taxes, commute, schools, climate and your own spending are not in these numbers.
Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Chicago or Atlanta?
Atlanta is cheaper. Overall prices run 4% lower than in Chicago, and housing runs 1% lower (BEA regional price parities, 2024, where the US average is 100).
How much do I need to earn in Chicago to match $100,000 in Atlanta?
About $103,500 a year, using the ratio of overall price levels (103.6 in Chicago, 100.1 in Atlanta). Prices only; taxes are not included.
Which city pays more, Chicago or Atlanta?
Chicago has the higher typical wage across all jobs: $54,500 against $51,000 (BLS, May 2025). After local prices, Chicago has the higher paycheck power: $53,000 against $51,000 in average-US dollars.
Which has more job openings?
In the postings we read from employers' own career pages, Chicago has more: 5,914 against 3,771. This is a sample of employer postings, not a census of every job.
Where do these numbers come from?
Prices come from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, wages and unemployment from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and postings from employers' own career pages, collected October 2026. Every figure on this page is in a table or chart above.
More on these places
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- Compare them in the interactive tool
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Updated October 2026. Prices only: taxes and personal spending are not included. Price levels: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities, 2024. Wages and unemployment: Bureau of Labor Statistics (wages May 2025). Postings: employers' own career pages, October 2026. Methodology