City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Montgomery, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 15.5% higher than in Montgomery, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Montgomery, AL would need about $115,500 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 $870 in Montgomery, AL. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 14% in Montgomery, AL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,805 a year in IL and $4,735 in AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.5% moving from Chicago, IL to Montgomery, AL ($118,984 → $106,437), while prices change by −13.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.3% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- Montgomery, AL: price level 89.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Chicago, IL | Montgomery, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 89.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $86,570 in Montgomery | $115,514 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $870/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $44,950 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Montgomery, AL MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Montgomery, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Montgomery |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 64.3 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 84.9 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 89.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Montgomery, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.5%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$70/yr.
100 Strong offer
Montgomery, AL → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.4%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$70/yr.
37 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Montgomery, AL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Montgomery, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Montgomery, AL | Real change, Chicago → Montgomery |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $61,722 | +3.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $74,678 | +3.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $89,508 | +3.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $106,437 | +3.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $125,776 | +3.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Montgomery, AL | Montgomery pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $125,310 | $113,270 | $130,842 (+4.4%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $110,620 | $127,781 (−4.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $75,040 | $86,681 (+5.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $79,570 | $91,914 (−8.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.