City comparison
Chicago, IL vs McAllen, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 20.6% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $120,600 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 $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,805 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in McAllen, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.5% moving from Chicago, IL to McAllen, TX ($118,984 → $106,437), while prices change by −17.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.9% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- McAllen, TX: price level 85.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Chicago, IL | McAllen, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 85.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $82,914 in McAllen | $120,607 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $847/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $35,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | McAllen |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 55.9 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 81.2 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 85.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.6%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$4,805/yr.
100 Strong offer
McAllen, TX → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.1%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$4,805/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; McAllen, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to McAllen, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | McAllen, TX | Real change, Chicago → McAllen |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $61,722 | +7.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $74,678 | +7.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $89,508 | +7.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $106,437 | +7.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $125,776 | +7.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | McAllen, TX | McAllen pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $63,110 | $76,115 (−2.9%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $116,120 | $140,048 (+4.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $64,470 | $77,755 (−5.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $80,540 | $97,137 (−3.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.