same $100k income, fresh start from Boulder
changea dispatch from
chicago
IL
41.88°N
87.63°W
Chicago is deep-dish for tourists, thin-crust tavern style for locals, and a hot dog that absolutely will not have ketchup on it. The L rumbles overhead, the lakefront stretches for 18 unbroken miles of beach and trail, and the architecture boat tour is the single best $50 you'll spend. Summer in Chicago might be the best summer in America. The improv comedy gene pool is unmatched.
in our guides
the verdict
cheaper each month than Boulder
Cost barely budges between Chicago and Boulder. Pick this one for the texture of the days, not the math.
a quick ledger.
$2,170/mo
2% cheaper than Boulder(vs $2,216/mo)
4.95%
$46/mo more in state tax than Boulder
vs 4.4% in Boulder
$5,751/mo
$0 more than Boulder
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$365k
53% cheaper than Boulder
vs $783k in Boulder
9.3M
vs 327k in Boulder
field notes, weather & such.
153
pleasant days a year, in chicago.
Boulder has the edge here, logging 178 pleasant days a year.
Nights and weekends fill up faster. 215.8× more on the calendar than Boulder.
70/100
11% lower than Boulder
vs 79/100 in Boulder
Closest outdoor draw: Indiana Dunes National Park, 27.2 mi.
100/100
19% higher than Boulder
vs 84/100 in Boulder
217
28% more than Boulder
vs 169 nonstops in Boulder
neighbors of chicago on the map of tradeoffs:
compare chicago with:
