City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Orlando, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 2.1% higher than in Orlando, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Orlando, FL would need about $102,100 in Chicago, IL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,731 a month in Orlando, FL versus $1,581 in Chicago, IL. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Orlando, FL and 26% in Chicago, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,805 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Orlando, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.5% moving from Chicago, IL to Orlando, FL ($118,984 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.6% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- Orlando, FL: price level 101.4 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Chicago, IL | Orlando, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 101.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,899 in Orlando | $102,147 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,731/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $46,630 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Orlando |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 123.4 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 87.2 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 101.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Orlando, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.1%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$4,805/yr.
74 Strong offer
Orlando, FL → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$4,805/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Orlando, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Orlando, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Orlando, FL | Real change, Chicago → Orlando |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $61,722 | −8.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $74,678 | −8.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $89,508 | −8.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $106,437 | −8.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $125,776 | −8.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Orlando, FL | Orlando pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $60,190 | $61,482 (−21.6%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $129,620 | $132,402 (−1.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $78,630 | $80,318 (−2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $83,550 | $85,343 (−15.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.