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New York vs Chicago: cost of living, pay and jobs compared
Chicago is the cheaper place to live: overall prices run 9% lower than in New York, and housing runs 33% lower. New York pays more in dollars (a typical official wage of $61,500 against $54,500), and after local prices are counted the typical paycheck goes further in New York ($54,500 against $53,000 in average-US dollars).
The short answer
- Prices: New York runs 9% higher than Chicago overall, and housing runs 33% higher.
- To keep the buying power of $100,000 in Chicago, you need about $108,500 in New York. To keep $100,000 from New York, you need about $92,000 in Chicago.
- Official median wage for all jobs: $61,500 in New York, $54,500 in Chicago.
- Median pay listed in open postings: $168,000 in New York, $132,000 in Chicago.
- Open postings in our data: 12,642 in New York from 1,485 employers, 5,914 in Chicago from 845 employers.
- Unemployment: 4.7% in New York, 5.2% in Chicago (BLS).
New York and Chicago side by side
| Measure | New York | Chicago | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (US = 100) | 112.6 | 103.6 | Chicago |
| Housing price level | 148.6 | 112 | Chicago |
| Official median wage, all jobs | $61,500 | $54,500 | New York |
| Paycheck power (wage adjusted for prices) | $54,500 | $53,000 | New York |
| Median pay in open postings | $168,000 | $132,000 | New York |
| Postings that list pay | 65.6% | 46.2% | New York |
| Open postings in our data | 12,642 | 5,914 | – |
| Employers hiring in our data | 1,485 | 845 | – |
| Unemployment rate (BLS) | 4.7% | 5.2% | New York |
| Postings open more than 60 days | 41.4% | 30.3% | Chicago |
| Median days a posting has been open | 45 | 30 | Chicago |
| Entry-level share of postings | 9.5% | 11.1% | – |
| Remote share of postings | 16.2% | 8.2% | – |
| Indeed postings index vs Feb 2020 | -15% | -13.6% | 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
New York prices sit 112.6 against a US average of 100 and Chicago at 103.6. The biggest difference is housing: 148.6 in New York against 112 in Chicago. Utilities are 52% higher in New York. 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) | New York | Chicago | New York vs Chicago |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 112.6 | 103.6 | 9% higher |
| Housing | 148.6 | 112 | 33% higher |
| Goods | 110.3 | 107.3 | 3% higher |
| Utilities | 127 | 83.6 | 52% higher |
| Other services | 105.8 | 100.5 | 5% higher |
What a salary is worth in each place
Each row keeps your purchasing power the same. The left half moves a salary from Chicago to New York; 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 Chicago | Matching salary in New York | If only housing moved | Salary in New York | Matching salary in Chicago | If only housing moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $54,500 | $66,500 | $50,000 | $46,000 | $37,500 |
| $75,000 | $81,500 | $99,500 | $75,000 | $69,000 | $56,500 |
| $100,000 | $108,500 | $132,500 | $100,000 | $92,000 | $75,500 |
| $125,000 | $136,000 | $166,000 | $125,000 | $115,000 | $94,000 |
| $150,000 | $163,000 | $199,000 | $150,000 | $138,000 | $113,000 |
| $200,000 | $217,500 | $265,500 | $200,000 | $184,000 | $150,500 |
As hourly pay (2,080 hours a year): $100,000 a year is about $48.10 an hour; the matching figure is about $52.24 an hour in New York for someone earning $100,000 in Chicago.
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 New York for 53 and higher in Chicago for 5. After local prices are counted, New York comes out ahead in 28 and Chicago in 30. The widest gap among the 15 largest occupations is waiters and waitresses: $47,600 in New York against $31,200 in Chicago.
| Occupation (15 largest) | New York median | Chicago median | New York adjusted for prices | Chicago adjusted for prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $39,700 | $38,200 | $35,300 | $36,900 |
| General and Operations Managers | $157,000 | $109,400 | $139,500 | $105,600 |
| Retail Salespersons | $38,300 | $35,800 | $34,000 | $34,600 |
| Registered Nurses | $119,700 | $100,500 | $106,400 | $97,000 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $43,300 | $40,600 | $38,500 | $39,100 |
| Cashiers | $36,000 | $35,000 | $31,900 | $33,800 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $35,400 | $34,600 | $31,500 | $33,400 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $42,800 | $38,500 | $38,100 | $37,100 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $38,600 | $38,500 | $34,300 | $37,100 |
| Office Clerks, General | $47,700 | $46,300 | $42,300 | $44,700 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $49,600 | $47,100 | $44,100 | $45,500 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $47,600 | $31,200 | $42,300 | $30,100 |
| Security Guards | $44,000 | $40,000 | $39,100 | $38,600 |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | $38,900 | $37,800 | $34,500 | $36,500 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $51,400 | $50,400 | $45,700 | $48,700 |
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 New York for 12 of 12 and higher in Chicago for 0. Posted pay tends to run above the all-worker median because it leans toward hiring for experienced roles at larger employers.
| Job family | New York median listed pay | Postings | Chicago median listed pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | $150,000 | 845 | $123,500 | 346 |
| Software developers | $211,500 | 707 | $192,000 | 84 |
| Marketing | $160,000 | 533 | $132,500 | 105 |
| Product and design | $190,000 | 437 | $147,500 | 66 |
| Operations and logistics | $150,000 | 379 | $107,500 | 113 |
| Legal and compliance | $185,000 | 292 | $175,000 | 75 |
| Finance and accounting | $160,000 | 233 | $137,500 | 62 |
| Software engineering | $205,000 | 220 | $183,000 | 52 |
| Data and analytics | $150,000 | 191 | $140,500 | 44 |
| Security and IT | $203,500 | 185 | $153,000 | 33 |
| People and recruiting | $162,500 | 188 | $121,500 | 28 |
| Customer support and success | $122,500 | 153 | $101,000 | 54 |
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
New York's postings lean toward software & technology (29.9%), while Chicago's lean toward healthcare & life sciences (17.5%). The mix matters because pay and hiring conditions differ a lot by industry.
- Largest posters in New York: Ramp (256), CoreWeave (155), DoorDash USA (151), Datadog (140), Profound (140).
- Largest posters in Chicago: Ntrs (203), Blueskytelepsych (141), DoorDash USA (99), Meijer (89), Arco (78).
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 45 days in New York and 30 in Chicago; 41.4% and 30.3% have been open more than 60 days.
- Entry-level roles are 9.5% of postings in New York and 11.1% in Chicago; senior and above are 53.6% and 41.6%.
- Fully remote roles are 16.2% of postings in New York and 8.2% in Chicago.
- Indeed's postings index sits 15% below its February 2020 level in New York and 13.6% below in Chicago.
- 65.6% of postings in New York list pay, against 46.2% in Chicago.
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 New York has the buying power of about $92,000 in Chicago.
- If you will be paid the local going rate, New York comes out ahead after prices on the typical wage ($54,500 against $53,000).
- Software developers: median listed pay is $211,500 in New York and $192,000 in Chicago, which is $188,000 and $185,500 in average-US dollars.
- If housing is your biggest cost, the gap there (148.6 vs 112) 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 New York or Chicago?
Chicago is cheaper. Overall prices run 9% lower than in New York, and housing runs 33% lower (BEA regional price parities, 2024, where the US average is 100).
How much do I need to earn in New York to match $100,000 in Chicago?
About $108,500 a year, using the ratio of overall price levels (112.6 in New York, 103.6 in Chicago). Prices only; taxes are not included.
Which city pays more, New York or Chicago?
New York has the higher typical wage across all jobs: $61,500 against $54,500 (BLS, May 2025). After local prices, New York has the higher paycheck power: $54,500 against $53,000 in average-US dollars.
Which has more job openings?
In the postings we read from employers' own career pages, New York has more: 12,642 against 5,914. 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
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: all the data
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: all the data
- Compare them in the interactive tool
- Cost-of-living ranking · Paycheck power ranking
Other comparisons
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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