City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Salinas, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 5.3% higher than in Chicago, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Chicago, IL would need about $105,300 in Salinas, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,232 a month in Salinas, CA versus $1,581 in Chicago, IL. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 26% in Chicago, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $265 a year higher in Salinas, CA than in Chicago, IL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.8% moving from Chicago, IL to Salinas, CA ($118,984 → $133,060), while prices change by +5.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.2% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- Salinas, CA: price level 109.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Chicago, IL | Salinas, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 109.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,258 in Salinas | $95,005 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $2,232/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $47,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Salinas, CA MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Salinas, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Salinas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 145.7 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 154.2 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 109.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$265/yr.
36 Weak offer
Salinas, CA → Chicago, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.3%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$265/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Salinas, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Salinas, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Salinas, CA | Real change, Chicago → Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $77,161 | +6.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $93,358 | +6.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $111,896 | +6.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $133,060 | +6.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $157,236 | +6.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Salinas, CA | Salinas pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $100,220 | $95,214 (+21.5%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $135,160 | $128,408 (−4.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $83,810 | $79,623 (−3.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $134,910 | $128,171 (+27.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.