City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Columbus, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 8.5% higher than in Columbus, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, OH would need about $108,500 in Chicago, IL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL versus $1,194 in Columbus, OH. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 19% in Columbus, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,838 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Columbus, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.7% moving from Chicago, IL to Columbus, OH ($118,984 → $111,065), while prices change by −7.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.3% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Chicago, IL | Columbus, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 95.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,156 in Columbus | $108,512 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,194/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $51,340 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Columbus, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Columbus |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 87.9 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 95.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Columbus, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$2,838/yr.
95 Strong offer
Columbus, OH → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.8%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$2,838/yr.
43 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Columbus, OH is in Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Columbus, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Columbus, OH | Real change, Chicago → Columbus |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $64,406 | +1.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $77,926 | +1.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $93,400 | +1.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $111,065 | +1.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $131,245 | +1.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Columbus, OH | Columbus pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $78,150 | $84,802 (+8.2%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $122,340 | $132,753 (−1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $81,700 | $88,654 (+7.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $83,900 | $91,041 (−9.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.