same $100k income, fresh start from Madison
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 Madison
Chicago costs meaningfully more. Whether it earns that back in the day-to-day is the actual question.
a quick ledger.
$2,170/mo
30% more expensive than Madison(vs $1,673/mo)
4.95%
$110/mo less in state tax than Madison
vs 6.27% in Madison
$5,751/mo
$387 less than Madison
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$365k
21% cheaper than Madison
vs $465k in Madison
9.3M
vs 694k in Madison
field notes, weather & such.
153
pleasant days a year, in chicago.
Madison only manages 147 of those.
32.4× the events of Madison, and the calendar shows it.
70/100
4% higher than Madison
vs 67/100 in Madison
Closest outdoor draw: Indiana Dunes National Park, 27.2 mi.
100/100
14% higher than Madison
vs 88/100 in Madison
217
1873% more than Madison
vs 11 nonstops in Madison
compare chicago with:
