City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Eugene, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 2.0% higher than in Eugene, OR. Someone earning $100,000 in Eugene, OR would need about $102,000 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 $1,286 in Eugene, OR. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 22% in Eugene, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,115 a year higher in Eugene, OR than in Chicago, IL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.5% moving from Chicago, IL to Eugene, OR ($118,984 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.8% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- Eugene, OR: price level 101.6 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Chicago, IL | Eugene, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 101.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,043 in Eugene | $101,996 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,286/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $71,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $7,920 (OR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $49,680 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Eugene-Springfield, OR MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Eugene-Springfield, OR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Eugene |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 98.3 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 105.3 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 102.5 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 101.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Eugene, OR
Roughly even
Buying power +2.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$3,115/yr.
75 Strong offer
Eugene, OR → Chicago, IL
Roughly even
Buying power −2.0%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$3,115/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Eugene, OR is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Eugene, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Eugene, OR | Real change, Chicago → Eugene |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $61,722 | −8.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $74,678 | −8.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $89,508 | −8.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $106,437 | −8.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $125,776 | −8.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Eugene, OR | Eugene pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $64,260 | $65,542 (−16.4%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $121,050 | $123,466 (−8.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $79,930 | $81,525 (−1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $113,720 | $115,990 (+15.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.