same $100k income, fresh start from Philadelphia
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 Philadelphia
Barely costlier than Philadelphia. If Chicago pulls you in, it's the life it offers, not the price tag.
a quick ledger.
$2,170/mo
16% more expensive than Philadelphia(vs $1,869/mo)
4.95%
$156/mo less in state tax than Philadelphia
vs 6.82% in Philadelphia
$5,751/mo
$145 less than Philadelphia
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$365k
7% cheaper than Philadelphia
vs $393k in Philadelphia
9.3M
vs 6.2M in Philadelphia
field notes, weather & such.
153
pleasant days a year, in chicago.
Philadelphia gets 173 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine. A real winter, not a brutal one: 38 days under 20°, vs 21 in Philadelphia.
600% more happening than in Philadelphia.
70/100
1% higher than Philadelphia
vs 69/100 in Philadelphia
Closest outdoor draw: Indiana Dunes National Park, 27.2 mi.
100/100
0% lower than Philadelphia
vs 100/100 in Philadelphia
217
78% more than Philadelphia
vs 122 nonstops in Philadelphia
same energy as chicago, different zip code:
compare chicago with:
