$90,000 in Boston ≈ $86,094 in Chicago
$86,094
Purchasing-power equivalent using BEA RPP 2024 (108.3 → 103.6). BLS OEWS May 2025 wages on linked pages.
Prices in Chicago run −4.3% vs Boston for equal purchasing power at this salary level.
Same job, both metros
- Computer and Information Systems Managers in Boston Computer and Information Systems Managers in Chicago
- Marketing Managers in Boston Marketing Managers in Chicago
- Financial Managers in Boston Financial Managers in Chicago
- Architectural and Engineering Managers in Boston Architectural and Engineering Managers in Chicago
- Sales Managers in Boston Sales Managers in Chicago
- Boston RPP
- 108.3
- Chicago RPP
- 103.6
- Price gap
- −4.3%
- Base salary
- $90,000
Prices in Chicago run −4.3% versus Boston on BEA all-items RPP (2024), so overall price levels are lower at the destination. A $90,000 paycheck in Boston maps to about $86,094 in Chicago for equal purchasing power.
Salary needed in Chicago
| In Boston | In Chicago |
|---|---|
| $60,000 | $57,396 |
| $90,000 | $86,094 |
| $150,000 | $143,490 |
Equivalent = origin salary × (103.6 ÷ 108.3). Adjust the base with the slider above.
Price level components
| Component | Boston | Chicago | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 108.3 | 103.6 | 100 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 107.3 | 100 |
| Housing (rents) | 148.4 | 112.0 | 100 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 100.5 | 100 |
BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, US = 100. Housing is rents; utilities omitted in this view.
Wages in both metros
| Occupation | Boston | Chicago | Dest. middle half | Dest. OEWS emp. | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $214,960 | $173,760 | $138,190 to $214,880 | 24,950 | −19.2% |
| Marketing Managers | $213,910 | $165,340 | $127,450 to $213,290 | 17,400 | −22.7% |
| Financial Managers | $209,780 | $168,810 | $131,120 to $220,150 | 41,590 | −19.5% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $205,130 | $163,430 | $133,100 to $200,400 | 6,670 | −20.3% |
| Sales Managers | $206,610 | $158,690 | $110,000 to $212,000 | 25,390 | −23.2% |
| Lawyers | $183,350 | $165,660 | $106,980 to $232,270 | 28,320 | −9.6% |
| Human Resources Managers | $184,990 | $156,770 | $121,230 to $200,710 | 10,810 | −15.3% |
| Managers, All Other | $184,250 | $145,370 | $109,590 to $189,350 | 26,170 | −21.1% |
BLS OEWS May 2025 metro medians where published for both CBSAs. Employment is OEWS published employment, not job openings.
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FAQ
- What salary do I need in Chicago to match $90,000 in Boston?
- About $86,094, based on BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) of 108.3 and 103.6. Formula: salary × (RPP_destination / RPP_origin). Not financial advice.
- What do goods, housing, and other RPP components mean?
- BEA publishes component indexes alongside all-items RPP. Goods covers merchandise prices; housing (rents) covers rents; other services covers remaining services. All are indexed to US = 100 for the same vintage year.
- How do OEWS wages relate to this comparison?
- BLS OEWS (May 2025) publishes occupation medians by metro. The wage bridge shows jobs with published medians in both metros, plus middle-half bands and OEWS employment where available. RPP adjusts purchasing power; OEWS reports pay.
- Does this include taxes or benefits?
- No. PayByCity does not model income taxes, childcare, healthcare premiums, or leave. Use the figures as a price-level starting point, not a take-home or total-rewards calculator.
What this covers
Includes
- BEA Regional Price Parities (all items, goods, housing rents, other services)
- BLS OEWS median wages, percentile bands, and employment where published
- Purchasing-power math: salary × (destination RPP ÷ origin RPP)
Does not include
- Federal, state, or local income taxes
- Childcare, healthcare premiums, or leave benefits
- Job openings. OEWS employment is a published stock estimate, not hiring demand
See methodology and disclaimer.