City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 16.1% higher than in Tulsa, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Tulsa, OK would need about $116,100 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 $987 in Tulsa, OK. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 16% in Tulsa, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $851 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Tulsa, OK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.5% moving from Chicago, IL to Tulsa, OK ($118,984 → $106,437), while prices change by −13.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.9% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Chicago, IL | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $86,118 in Tulsa | $116,120 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $987/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Tulsa, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$851/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tulsa, OK → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.9%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$851/yr.
37 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Tulsa, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Tulsa, OK | Real change, Chicago → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $61,722 | +3.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $74,678 | +3.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $89,508 | +3.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $106,437 | +3.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $125,776 | +3.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $125,310 | $101,790 | $118,198 (−5.7%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $108,730 | $126,257 (−6.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $81,320 | $94,429 (+14.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $84,790 | $98,458 (−2.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.