with $100k coming in, swapping out of Chicago
changea dispatch from
buffalo
NY
42.89°N
78.88°W
Buffalo invented the wing (Anchor Bar, 1964, midnight, blue cheese, celery, not negotiable) and that should tell you most of what you need to know about the city's spirit. The Bills Mafia jumps through tables in subzero parking lots. Niagara Falls is 20 minutes away. The architecture (Sullivan, Wright, Olmsted parks) is genuinely world-class. The snow is part of the local mythology and the locals wear it proudly.
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read the guidethe verdict
below Chicago's monthly cost
You'd feel the difference in Buffalo. Not life-changing money, but real breathing room next to Chicago.
a quick ledger.
$1,374/mo
37% cheaper than Chicago(vs $2,170/mo)
5.85%
$75/mo more in state tax than Chicago
vs 4.95% in Chicago
$6,472/mo
$721 more than Chicago
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$280k
23% cheaper than Chicago
vs $365k in Chicago
1.2M
vs 9.3M in Chicago
field notes, weather & such.
152
pleasant days a year, in buffalo.
Chicago gets 153 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine.
Chicago hosts 19.0× more events.
66/100
6% lower than Chicago
vs 70/100 in Chicago
Closest outdoor draw: Darien Lakes State Park, 23.9 mi.
91/100
9% lower than Chicago
vs 100/100 in Chicago
20
91% fewer than Chicago
vs 217 nonstops in Chicago
same energy as buffalo, different zip code:
compare buffalo with:
