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Chicago vs Phoenix: cost of living, pay and jobs compared
Phoenix is the cheaper place to live: overall prices run 0% lower than in Chicago, and housing runs 8% lower. Chicago pays more in dollars (a typical official wage of $54,500 against $51,500), and after local prices are counted the typical paycheck goes further in Chicago ($53,000 against $49,500 in average-US dollars).
The short answer
- Prices: Chicago runs about the same than Phoenix overall, and housing runs 8% lower.
- To keep the buying power of $100,000 in Phoenix, you need about $100,500 in Chicago. To keep $100,000 from Chicago, you need about $99,500 in Phoenix.
- Official median wage for all jobs: $54,500 in Chicago, $51,500 in Phoenix.
- Median pay listed in open postings: $132,000 in Chicago, $117,500 in Phoenix.
- Open postings in our data: 5,914 in Chicago from 845 employers, 2,893 in Phoenix from 443 employers.
- Unemployment: 5.2% in Chicago, 4.9% in Phoenix (BLS).
Chicago and Phoenix side by side
| Measure | Chicago | Phoenix | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (US = 100) | 103.6 | 103.3 | About the same |
| Housing price level | 112 | 121.2 | Chicago |
| Official median wage, all jobs | $54,500 | $51,500 | Chicago |
| Paycheck power (wage adjusted for prices) | $53,000 | $49,500 | Chicago |
| Median pay in open postings | $132,000 | $117,500 | Chicago |
| Postings that list pay | 46.2% | 20.5% | Chicago |
| Open postings in our data | 5,914 | 2,893 | – |
| Employers hiring in our data | 845 | 443 | – |
| Unemployment rate (BLS) | 5.2% | 4.9% | Phoenix |
| Postings open more than 60 days | 30.3% | 32.6% | Chicago |
| Median days a posting has been open | 30 | 30 | About the same |
| Entry-level share of postings | 11.1% | 11.6% | – |
| Remote share of postings | 8.2% | 3% | – |
| Indeed postings index vs Feb 2020 | -13.6% | +12.8% | Phoenix |
"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 Phoenix at 103.3. The biggest difference is housing: 112 in Chicago against 121.2 in Phoenix. Utilities are 10% 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 | Phoenix | Chicago vs Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 103.6 | 103.3 | about the same |
| Housing | 112 | 121.2 | 8% lower |
| Goods | 107.3 | 95 | 13% higher |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 93.3 | 10% lower |
| Other services | 100.5 | 104 | 3% lower |
What a salary is worth in each place
Each row keeps your purchasing power the same. The left half moves a salary from Phoenix 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 Phoenix | Matching salary in Chicago | If only housing moved | Salary in Chicago | Matching salary in Phoenix | If only housing moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $50,000 | $46,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | $54,000 |
| $75,000 | $75,000 | $69,500 | $75,000 | $75,000 | $81,000 |
| $100,000 | $100,500 | $92,500 | $100,000 | $99,500 | $108,000 |
| $125,000 | $125,500 | $115,500 | $125,000 | $124,500 | $135,500 |
| $150,000 | $150,500 | $138,500 | $150,000 | $149,500 | $162,500 |
| $200,000 | $200,500 | $185,000 | $200,000 | $199,500 | $216,500 |
As hourly pay (2,080 hours a year): $100,000 a year is about $48.10 an hour; the matching figure is about $48.21 an hour in Chicago for someone earning $100,000 in Phoenix.
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 41 and higher in Phoenix for 17. After local prices are counted, Chicago comes out ahead in 39 and Phoenix in 19. The widest gap among the 15 largest occupations is waiters and waitresses: $31,200 in Chicago against $47,500 in Phoenix.
| Occupation (15 largest) | Chicago median | Phoenix median | Chicago adjusted for prices | Phoenix adjusted for prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $40,600 | $45,000 | $39,100 | $43,500 |
| General and Operations Managers | $109,400 | $98,600 | $105,600 | $95,400 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $38,200 | $36,900 | $36,900 | $35,700 |
| Retail Salespersons | $35,800 | $36,000 | $34,600 | $34,800 |
| Registered Nurses | $100,500 | $100,800 | $97,000 | $97,600 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $34,600 | $34,500 | $33,400 | $33,400 |
| Cashiers | $35,000 | $34,900 | $33,800 | $33,800 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $47,100 | $46,400 | $45,500 | $44,900 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $38,500 | $37,700 | $37,100 | $36,500 |
| Office Clerks, General | $46,300 | $47,700 | $44,700 | $46,100 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $38,500 | $36,300 | $37,100 | $35,100 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $31,200 | $47,500 | $30,100 | $46,000 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $62,300 | $59,800 | $60,100 | $57,900 |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $70,700 | $74,900 | $68,300 | $72,500 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $50,400 | $48,800 | $48,700 | $47,200 |
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 6 and higher in Phoenix for 2. 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 | Phoenix median listed pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | $123,500 | 346 | $111,000 | 57 |
| Operations and logistics | $107,500 | 113 | $107,500 | 36 |
| Legal and compliance | $175,000 | 75 | $152,500 | 17 |
| Product and design | $147,500 | 66 | $109,000 | 18 |
| Engineering (other) | $114,000 | 38 | $126,500 | 39 |
| Nursing and clinical care | $151,000 | 38 | $123,500 | 19 |
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 Phoenix's lean toward software & technology (19.1%). 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 Phoenix: Carvana (155), Axon (96), Lucid Motors (86), Intel (81), Marketechinternationalcorporationusa (77).
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 Phoenix; 30.3% and 32.6% have been open more than 60 days.
- Entry-level roles are 11.1% of postings in Chicago and 11.6% in Phoenix; senior and above are 41.6% and 34%.
- Fully remote roles are 8.2% of postings in Chicago and 3% in Phoenix.
- Indeed's postings index sits 13.6% below its February 2020 level in Chicago and 12.8% above in Phoenix.
- 46.2% of postings in Chicago list pay, against 20.5% in Phoenix.
Which is better for you?
- If you can keep your current salary and move, the place with the lower price level (Phoenix) stretches it further: $100,000 in Chicago has the buying power of about $99,500 in Phoenix.
- If you will be paid the local going rate, Chicago comes out ahead after prices on the typical wage ($53,000 against $49,500).
- If housing is your biggest cost, the gap there (112 vs 121.2) 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 Phoenix?
Phoenix is cheaper. Overall prices run 0% lower than in Chicago, and housing runs 8% 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 Phoenix?
About $100,500 a year, using the ratio of overall price levels (103.6 in Chicago, 103.3 in Phoenix). Prices only; taxes are not included.
Which city pays more, Chicago or Phoenix?
Chicago has the higher typical wage across all jobs: $54,500 against $51,500 (BLS, May 2025). After local prices, Chicago has the higher paycheck power: $53,000 against $49,500 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 2,893. 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
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 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