same $100k income, fresh start from Fayetteville
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
more expensive each month than Fayetteville
Chicago costs meaningfully more. Whether it earns that back in the day-to-day is the actual question.
a quick ledger.
$2,170/mo
35% more expensive than Fayetteville(vs $1,606/mo)
4.95%
$46/mo more in state tax than Fayetteville
vs 4.4% in Fayetteville
$5,751/mo
$610 less than Fayetteville
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$365k
1% cheaper than Fayetteville
vs $367k in Fayetteville
9.3M
vs 590k in Fayetteville
field notes, weather & such.
153
pleasant days a year, in chicago.
Fayetteville has the edge here, logging 170 pleasant days a year. Winter shows up, though: 38 days below 20° vs Fayetteville's 14.
A real upgrade on things to do: 161.9× Fayetteville's pace.
70/100
9% higher than Fayetteville
vs 64/100 in Fayetteville
Closest outdoor draw: Indiana Dunes National Park, 27.2 mi.
100/100
22% higher than Fayetteville
vs 82/100 in Fayetteville
217
1450% more than Fayetteville
vs 14 nonstops in Fayetteville
compare chicago with:
