$100k salary, packing up from Portland
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
less monthly outlay than Portland
The gap is real. Chicago costs noticeably less than Portland, every month.
a quick ledger.
$2,170/mo
5% cheaper than Portland(vs $2,285/mo)
4.95%
$212/mo less in state tax than Portland
vs 7.5% in Portland
$5,751/mo
$328 more than Portland
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$365k
33% cheaper than Portland
vs $543k in Portland
9.3M
vs 566k in Portland
field notes, weather & such.
153
pleasant days a year, in chicago.
Portland only logs 145 pleasant days. A real winter, not a brutal one: 38 days under 20°, vs 19 in Portland.
4077% more happening than in Portland.
70/100
1% lower than Portland
vs 71/100 in Portland
Closest outdoor draw: Indiana Dunes National Park, 27.2 mi.
100/100
2% higher than Portland
vs 98/100 in Portland
217
10750% more than Portland
vs 2 nonstops in Portland
neighbors of chicago on the map of tradeoffs:
compare chicago with:
