$100k salary, packing up from Memphis
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
the monthly premium over Memphis
Chicago costs noticeably more than Memphis. You'd be paying for Chicago itself, not for breathing room around it.
a quick ledger.
$2,170/mo
51% more expensive than Memphis(vs $1,436/mo)
4.95%
$413/mo more in state tax than Memphis
vs 0% in Memphis
$5,751/mo
$1,146 less than Memphis
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$365k
50% more expensive than Memphis
vs $244k in Memphis
9.3M
vs 1.3M in Memphis
field notes, weather & such.
153
pleasant days a year, in chicago.
Memphis actually gets more: 185 pleasant days a year. Cold snaps are part of the year: 38 days below 20° here, 5 in Memphis.
Nights and weekends fill up faster. 36.0× more on the calendar than Memphis.
70/100
25% higher than Memphis
vs 56/100 in Memphis
Closest outdoor draw: Indiana Dunes National Park, 27.2 mi.
100/100
12% higher than Memphis
vs 89/100 in Memphis
217
578% more than Memphis
vs 32 nonstops in Memphis
neighbors of chicago on the map of tradeoffs:
compare chicago with:
