City comparison
Boulder, CO vs Chicago, IL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Boulder, CO are 1.6% higher than in Chicago, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Chicago, IL would need about $101,600 in Boulder, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,795 a month in Boulder, CO versus $1,581 in Chicago, IL. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Boulder, CO and 26% in Chicago, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,114 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Boulder, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.3% moving from Boulder, CO to Chicago, IL ($118,675 → $118,984), while prices change by −1.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.8% in real buying power.
- Boulder, CO: price level 105.2 (pricier)
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Boulder, CO | Chicago, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.2 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,472 in Chicago | $101,551 in Boulder |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,795/mo | $1,581/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,375 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $4,805 (IL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 29% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $69,580 | $54,720 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI |
Rent areas: Boulder, CO MSA and Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boulder, CO and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boulder | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 157.0 | 112.0 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 107.3 |
| Utilities | 82.7 | 83.6 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 100.5 |
| Overall | 105.2 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boulder, CO → Chicago, IL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.6%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$1,114/yr.
73 Strong offer
Chicago, IL → Boulder, CO
Roughly even
Buying power −1.5%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax −$1,114/yr.
59 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Boulder, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Chicago, IL is in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Boulder, CO to Chicago, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boulder, CO | Chicago, IL | Real change, Boulder → Chicago |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $68,999 | +1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $83,482 | +1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $100,059 | +1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $118,984 | +1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $140,604 | +1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boulder, CO | Chicago, IL | Chicago pay in Boulder dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $154,990 | $125,310 | $127,254 (−17.9%) |
| Software Developers | $164,560 | $134,380 | $136,465 (−17.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $99,990 | $82,360 | $83,638 (−16.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,290 | $100,490 | $102,049 (−1.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.