same $100k income, fresh start from Houston
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
pricier each month than Houston
Chicago is the expensive option. The argument has to be entirely about the place, not the price.
a quick ledger.
$2,170/mo
35% more expensive than Houston(vs $1,610/mo)
4.95%
$413/mo more in state tax than Houston
vs 0% in Houston
$5,751/mo
$972 less than Houston
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$365k
17% more expensive than Houston
vs $311k in Houston
9.3M
vs 7.5M in Houston
field notes, weather & such.
153
pleasant days a year, in chicago.
Houston edges ahead with 171 pleasant days. A real winter, not a brutal one: 38 days under 20°, vs 1 in Houston.
A month here packs 6.1× the events of Houston.
70/100
27% higher than Houston
vs 55/100 in Houston
Closest outdoor draw: Indiana Dunes National Park, 27.2 mi.
100/100
30% higher than Houston
vs 77/100 in Houston
217
23% more than Houston
vs 176 nonstops in Houston
neighbors of chicago on the map of tradeoffs:
compare chicago with:
