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Chicago vs Seattle: cost of living, pay and jobs compared
Chicago is the cheaper place to live: overall prices run 7% lower than in Seattle, and housing runs 35% lower. Seattle pays more in dollars (a typical official wage of $72,500 against $54,500), and after local prices are counted the typical paycheck goes further in Seattle ($65,500 against $53,000 in average-US dollars).
The short answer
- Prices: Chicago runs 7% lower than Seattle overall, and housing runs 26% lower.
- To keep the buying power of $100,000 in Seattle, you need about $93,000 in Chicago. To keep $100,000 from Chicago, you need about $107,500 in Seattle.
- Official median wage for all jobs: $54,500 in Chicago, $72,500 in Seattle.
- Median pay listed in open postings: $132,000 in Chicago, $182,500 in Seattle.
- Open postings in our data: 5,914 in Chicago from 845 employers, 4,540 in Seattle from 533 employers.
- Unemployment: 5.2% in Chicago, 4.8% in Seattle (BLS).
Chicago and Seattle side by side
| Measure | Chicago | Seattle | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (US = 100) | 103.6 | 111.1 | Chicago |
| Housing price level | 112 | 151.3 | Chicago |
| Official median wage, all jobs | $54,500 | $72,500 | Seattle |
| Paycheck power (wage adjusted for prices) | $53,000 | $65,500 | Seattle |
| Median pay in open postings | $132,000 | $182,500 | Seattle |
| Postings that list pay | 46.2% | 61.3% | Seattle |
| Open postings in our data | 5,914 | 4,540 | – |
| Employers hiring in our data | 845 | 533 | – |
| Unemployment rate (BLS) | 5.2% | 4.8% | Seattle |
| Postings open more than 60 days | 30.3% | 41.8% | Chicago |
| Median days a posting has been open | 30 | 44 | Chicago |
| Entry-level share of postings | 11.1% | 7.2% | – |
| Remote share of postings | 8.2% | 7.9% | – |
| Indeed postings index vs Feb 2020 | -13.6% | -32.4% | Chicago |
"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 Seattle at 111.1. The biggest difference is housing: 112 in Chicago against 151.3 in Seattle. 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 | Seattle | Chicago vs Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 103.6 | 111.1 | 7% lower |
| Housing | 112 | 151.3 | 26% lower |
| Goods | 107.3 | 104 | 3% higher |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 92.8 | 10% lower |
| Other services | 100.5 | 106.8 | 6% lower |
What a salary is worth in each place
Each row keeps your purchasing power the same. The left half moves a salary from Seattle 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 Seattle | Matching salary in Chicago | If only housing moved | Salary in Chicago | Matching salary in Seattle | If only housing moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $46,500 | $37,000 | $50,000 | $53,500 | $67,500 |
| $75,000 | $70,000 | $55,500 | $75,000 | $80,500 | $101,500 |
| $100,000 | $93,000 | $74,000 | $100,000 | $107,500 | $135,000 |
| $125,000 | $116,500 | $92,500 | $125,000 | $134,000 | $169,000 |
| $150,000 | $140,000 | $111,000 | $150,000 | $161,000 | $202,500 |
| $200,000 | $186,500 | $148,000 | $200,000 | $214,500 | $270,000 |
As hourly pay (2,080 hours a year): $100,000 a year is about $48.10 an hour; the matching figure is about $44.82 an hour in Chicago for someone earning $100,000 in Seattle.
Pay for the same job
Across the 55 occupations that the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures in both areas, the median wage is higher in Chicago for 4 and higher in Seattle for 51. After local prices are counted, Chicago comes out ahead in 11 and Seattle in 44. The widest gap among the 15 largest occupations is waiters and waitresses: $31,200 in Chicago against $57,300 in Seattle.
| Occupation (15 largest) | Chicago median | Seattle median | Chicago adjusted for prices | Seattle adjusted for prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $40,600 | $47,700 | $39,100 | $43,000 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $38,200 | $48,200 | $36,900 | $43,400 |
| General and Operations Managers | $109,400 | $146,000 | $105,600 | $131,400 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $34,600 | $39,200 | $33,400 | $35,200 |
| Retail Salespersons | $35,800 | $42,100 | $34,600 | $37,900 |
| Registered Nurses | $100,500 | $128,300 | $97,000 | $115,400 |
| Software Developers | $134,400 | $167,300 | $129,700 | $150,500 |
| Cashiers | $35,000 | $44,200 | $33,800 | $39,800 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $38,500 | $46,800 | $37,100 | $42,100 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $47,100 | $53,600 | $45,500 | $48,200 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $38,500 | $46,500 | $37,100 | $41,800 |
| Office Clerks, General | $46,300 | $53,300 | $44,700 | $48,000 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $62,300 | $71,200 | $60,100 | $64,100 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $31,200 | $57,300 | $30,100 | $51,500 |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | $37,800 | $54,000 | $36,500 | $48,500 |
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 0 of 12 and higher in Seattle for 12. 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 | Seattle median listed pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | $123,500 | 346 | $130,000 | 166 |
| Software developers | $192,000 | 84 | $210,000 | 403 |
| Operations and logistics | $107,500 | 113 | $141,500 | 108 |
| Software engineering | $183,000 | 52 | $200,000 | 146 |
| Product and design | $147,500 | 66 | $190,000 | 129 |
| Marketing | $132,500 | 105 | $176,500 | 85 |
| Security and IT | $153,000 | 33 | $203,500 | 111 |
| Legal and compliance | $175,000 | 75 | $200,000 | 65 |
| Engineering (other) | $114,000 | 38 | $160,000 | 99 |
| Finance and accounting | $137,500 | 62 | $176,000 | 53 |
| Customer support and success | $101,000 | 54 | $173,000 | 36 |
| Nursing and clinical care | $151,000 | 38 | $165,500 | 32 |
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 Seattle's lean toward software & technology (32.8%). 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 Seattle: SpaceX (467), Anthropic (183), CoreWeave (146), Shield AI (137), DoorDash USA (134).
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 44 in Seattle; 30.3% and 41.8% have been open more than 60 days.
- Entry-level roles are 11.1% of postings in Chicago and 7.2% in Seattle; senior and above are 41.6% and 52.5%.
- Fully remote roles are 8.2% of postings in Chicago and 7.9% in Seattle.
- Indeed's postings index sits 13.6% below its February 2020 level in Chicago and 32.4% below in Seattle.
- 46.2% of postings in Chicago list pay, against 61.3% in Seattle.
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 Seattle has the buying power of about $93,000 in Chicago.
- If you will be paid the local going rate, Seattle comes out ahead after prices on the typical wage ($65,500 against $53,000).
- Software developers: median listed pay is $192,000 in Chicago and $210,000 in Seattle, which is $185,500 and $189,000 in average-US dollars.
- If housing is your biggest cost, the gap there (112 vs 151.3) 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 Seattle?
Chicago is cheaper. Overall prices run 7% lower than in Seattle, and housing runs 35% 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 Seattle?
About $93,000 a year, using the ratio of overall price levels (103.6 in Chicago, 111.1 in Seattle). Prices only; taxes are not included.
Which city pays more, Chicago or Seattle?
Seattle has the higher typical wage across all jobs: $72,500 against $54,500 (BLS, May 2025). After local prices, Seattle has the higher paycheck power: $65,500 against $53,000 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 4,540. 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
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 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