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Chicago vs Miami: cost of living, pay and jobs compared
Chicago is the cheaper place to live: overall prices run 10% lower than in Miami, and housing runs 39% lower. Chicago pays more in dollars (a typical official wage of $54,500 against $48,500), and after local prices are counted the typical paycheck goes further in Chicago ($53,000 against $42,500 in average-US dollars).
The short answer
- Prices: Chicago runs 9% lower than Miami overall, and housing runs 28% lower.
- To keep the buying power of $100,000 in Miami, you need about $90,500 in Chicago. To keep $100,000 from Chicago, you need about $110,000 in Miami.
- Official median wage for all jobs: $54,500 in Chicago, $48,500 in Miami.
- Median pay listed in open postings: $132,000 in Chicago, $115,000 in Miami.
- Open postings in our data: 5,914 in Chicago from 845 employers, 2,312 in Miami from 459 employers.
- Unemployment: 5.2% in Chicago, 3.7% in Miami (BLS).
Chicago and Miami side by side
| Measure | Chicago | Miami | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (US = 100) | 103.6 | 114.2 | Chicago |
| Housing price level | 112 | 155.6 | Chicago |
| Official median wage, all jobs | $54,500 | $48,500 | Chicago |
| Paycheck power (wage adjusted for prices) | $53,000 | $42,500 | Chicago |
| Median pay in open postings | $132,000 | $115,000 | Chicago |
| Postings that list pay | 46.2% | 21.2% | Chicago |
| Open postings in our data | 5,914 | 2,312 | – |
| Employers hiring in our data | 845 | 459 | – |
| Unemployment rate (BLS) | 5.2% | 3.7% | Miami |
| Postings open more than 60 days | 30.3% | 32.1% | Chicago |
| Median days a posting has been open | 30 | 30 | About the same |
| Entry-level share of postings | 11.1% | 16.5% | – |
| Remote share of postings | 8.2% | 5.7% | – |
| Indeed postings index vs Feb 2020 | -13.6% | +8.3% | Miami |
"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 Miami at 114.2. The biggest difference is housing: 112 in Chicago against 155.6 in Miami. Utilities are 14% 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 | Miami | Chicago vs Miami |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 103.6 | 114.2 | 9% lower |
| Housing | 112 | 155.6 | 28% lower |
| Goods | 107.3 | 103.6 | 4% higher |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 97.2 | 14% lower |
| Other services | 100.5 | 109.1 | 8% lower |
What a salary is worth in each place
Each row keeps your purchasing power the same. The left half moves a salary from Miami 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 Miami | Matching salary in Chicago | If only housing moved | Salary in Chicago | Matching salary in Miami | If only housing moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $45,500 | $36,000 | $50,000 | $55,000 | $69,500 |
| $75,000 | $68,000 | $54,000 | $75,000 | $82,500 | $104,000 |
| $100,000 | $90,500 | $72,000 | $100,000 | $110,000 | $139,000 |
| $125,000 | $113,500 | $90,000 | $125,000 | $137,500 | $173,500 |
| $150,000 | $136,000 | $108,000 | $150,000 | $165,500 | $208,500 |
| $200,000 | $181,500 | $144,000 | $200,000 | $220,500 | $277,500 |
As hourly pay (2,080 hours a year): $100,000 a year is about $48.10 an hour; the matching figure is about $43.63 an hour in Chicago for someone earning $100,000 in Miami.
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 52 and higher in Miami for 6. After local prices are counted, Chicago comes out ahead in 56 and Miami in 2. The widest gap among the 15 largest occupations is heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers: $62,300 in Chicago against $51,600 in Miami.
| Occupation (15 largest) | Chicago median | Miami median | Chicago adjusted for prices | Miami adjusted for prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $40,600 | $38,600 | $39,100 | $33,800 |
| General and Operations Managers | $109,400 | $105,600 | $105,600 | $92,500 |
| Retail Salespersons | $35,800 | $34,300 | $34,600 | $30,100 |
| Registered Nurses | $100,500 | $91,400 | $97,000 | $80,000 |
| Cashiers | $35,000 | $30,300 | $33,800 | $26,500 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $34,600 | $29,600 | $33,400 | $25,900 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $47,100 | $39,600 | $45,500 | $34,700 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $38,200 | $32,900 | $36,900 | $28,800 |
| Office Clerks, General | $46,300 | $44,700 | $44,700 | $39,200 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $38,500 | $36,100 | $37,100 | $31,600 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $31,200 | $36,100 | $30,100 | $31,600 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $38,500 | $34,200 | $37,100 | $29,900 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $62,300 | $51,600 | $60,100 | $45,200 |
| Security Guards | $40,000 | $36,000 | $38,600 | $31,600 |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $70,700 | $62,100 | $68,300 | $54,400 |
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 4 of 5 and higher in Miami for 1. 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 | Miami median listed pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | $123,500 | 346 | $105,000 | 67 |
| Marketing | $132,500 | 105 | $102,500 | 35 |
| Operations and logistics | $107,500 | 113 | $92,500 | 18 |
| Software engineering | $183,000 | 52 | $187,000 | 15 |
| Nursing and clinical care | $151,000 | 38 | $124,000 | 20 |
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
Healthcare & Life Sciences is the largest hiring industry in both areas. 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 Miami: CenterWell (98), Floor & Decor (68), Lennar (62), RaceTrac (62), Veterinaryemergencygroupst (54).
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 Miami; 30.3% and 32.1% have been open more than 60 days.
- Entry-level roles are 11.1% of postings in Chicago and 16.5% in Miami; senior and above are 41.6% and 35.7%.
- Fully remote roles are 8.2% of postings in Chicago and 5.7% in Miami.
- Indeed's postings index sits 13.6% below its February 2020 level in Chicago and 8.3% above in Miami.
- 46.2% of postings in Chicago list pay, against 21.2% in Miami.
Which is better for you?
- If you can keep your current salary and move, the place with the lower price level (Chicago) stretches it further: $100,000 in Miami has the buying power of about $90,500 in Chicago.
- If you will be paid the local going rate, Chicago comes out ahead after prices on the typical wage ($53,000 against $42,500).
- If housing is your biggest cost, the gap there (112 vs 155.6) 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 Miami?
Chicago is cheaper. Overall prices run 10% lower than in Miami, and housing runs 39% 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 Miami?
About $90,500 a year, using the ratio of overall price levels (103.6 in Chicago, 114.2 in Miami). Prices only; taxes are not included.
Which city pays more, Chicago or Miami?
Chicago has the higher typical wage across all jobs: $54,500 against $48,500 (BLS, May 2025). After local prices, Chicago has the higher paycheck power: $53,000 against $42,500 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 2,312. 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
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: all the data
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: all the data
- Compare them in the interactive tool
- Cost-of-living ranking · Paycheck power ranking
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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