Salary Equivalence
Chicago
Chicago, United States — cost-of-living and salary purchasing-power profile with a price-level index of 74.0 (New York City = 100).
Key figures
| Price level index | 74.0 |
|---|---|
| Rent index | 58.0 |
| Population | 2,665,000 |
About Chicago
Chicago has a composite price-level index of 74.0 (New York City = 100) and a rent index of 58.0, making it a moderately priced city. It is home to roughly 2.7 million people and uses the USD. The calculators below convert any salary to and from Chicago so you can judge a move in real purchasing-power terms rather than raw currency.
The comparisons below show how Chicago stacks up against the alternatives people most often weigh against it, with the specific numbers laid out side by side.
Frequently asked questions
How expensive is Chicago?
Chicago has a composite price-level index of 74.0 (NYC = 100) and a rent index of 58.0.
What currency is used in Chicago?
Chicago uses the USD.
✓ Reviewed by Priya Nair, Data Quality Reviewer.
Last updated 2026-06-01