City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Denver, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Denver, CO are 2.1% higher than in Chicago, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Chicago, IL would need about $102,100 in Denver, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,754 a month in Denver, CO versus $1,581 in Chicago, IL. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Denver, 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 Denver, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.3% moving from Chicago, IL to Denver, CO ($118,984 → $118,675), while prices change by +2.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.3% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- Denver, CO: price level 105.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Chicago, IL | Denver, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 105.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,111 in Denver | $97,933 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,754/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $62,320 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 146.9 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 101.0 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 87.9 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 105.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Denver, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax −$1,114/yr.
58 Fair offer
Denver, CO → Chicago, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.1%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$1,114/yr.
75 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Denver, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Denver, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Denver, CO | Real change, Chicago → Denver |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $68,819 | −2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $83,265 | −2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $99,800 | −2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $118,675 | −2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $140,239 | −2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Denver, CO | Denver pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $125,310 | $136,670 | $133,844 (+6.8%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $137,610 | $134,765 (+0.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $100,020 | $97,952 (+18.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $101,130 | $99,039 (−1.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.