City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Urban Honolulu, HI are 7.1% higher than in Chicago, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Chicago, IL would need about $107,100 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,016 a month in Urban Honolulu, HI versus $1,581 in Chicago, IL. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 26% in Chicago, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,265 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Chicago, IL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.6% moving from Chicago, IL to Urban Honolulu, HI ($118,984 → $111,119), while prices change by +7.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.8% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Chicago, IL | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,110 in Urban Honolulu | $93,362 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.6%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$1,265/yr.
36 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Chicago, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.1%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$1,265/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Chicago → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $64,438 | −12.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $77,964 | −12.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $93,445 | −12.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $111,119 | −12.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $131,310 | −12.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $73,080 | $68,229 (−13.0%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $120,230 | $112,249 (−16.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $74,990 | $70,012 (−15.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $139,260 | $130,015 (+29.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.