$90,000 in Chicago ≈ $86,873 in Allentown

$86,873

Purchasing-power equivalent using BEA RPP 2024 (103.6 → 100). BLS OEWS May 2025 wages on linked pages.

Prices in Allentown run −3.5% vs Chicago for equal purchasing power at this salary level.

Chicago RPP
103.6
Allentown RPP
100
Price gap
−3.5%
Base salary
$90,000

Prices in Allentown run −3.5% versus Chicago on BEA all-items RPP (2024), so overall price levels are lower at the destination. A $90,000 paycheck in Chicago maps to about $86,873 in Allentown for equal purchasing power.

Your salary

Needed in Allentown: $86,873

Live math: salary × (100 ÷ 103.6). Same formula as the static ladder below.

Salary needed in Allentown

In ChicagoIn Allentown
$60,000$57,915
$90,000$86,873
$150,000$144,788

Equivalent = origin salary × (100 ÷ 103.6). Adjust the base with the slider above.

Price level components

ComponentChicagoAllentownUS
All items103.6100.0100
Goods107.3100.6100
Housing (rents)112.0105.5100
Other services100.597.8100

BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, US = 100. Housing is rents; utilities omitted in this view.

Wages in both metros

OccupationChicagoAllentownDest. middle halfDest. OEWS emp.Gap
Chief Executives$344,960$279,080$167,210 to $419,960400−19.1%
Physicians, All Other$94,820$258,750$80,740 to $374,7501,890+172.9%
Computer and Information Systems Managers$173,760$165,660$127,460 to $210,0401,030−4.7%
Architectural and Engineering Managers$163,430$166,180$136,150 to $194,080500+1.7%
Marketing Managers$165,340$153,930$117,500 to $200,420690−6.9%
Financial Managers$168,810$146,030$113,690 to $197,0101,390−13.5%
Sales Managers$158,690$135,220$100,670 to $176,6401,310−14.8%
Lawyers$165,660$126,160$82,140 to $195,080950−23.8%

BLS OEWS May 2025 metro medians where published for both CBSAs. Employment is OEWS published employment, not job openings.

FAQ

What salary do I need in Allentown to match $90,000 in Chicago?
About $86,873, based on BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) of 103.6 and 100. 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.