$90,000 in Chicago ≈ $88,784 in Fresno

$88,784

Purchasing-power equivalent using BEA RPP 2024 (103.6 → 102.2). BLS OEWS May 2025 wages on linked pages.

Prices in Fresno run −1.4% vs Chicago for equal purchasing power at this salary level.

Chicago RPP
103.6
Fresno RPP
102.2
Price gap
−1.4%
Base salary
$90,000

Prices in Fresno run −1.4% 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 $88,784 in Fresno for equal purchasing power.

Your salary

Needed in Fresno: $88,784

Live math: salary × (102.2 ÷ 103.6). Same formula as the static ladder below.

Salary needed in Fresno

In ChicagoIn Fresno
$60,000$59,189
$90,000$88,784
$150,000$147,973

Equivalent = origin salary × (102.2 ÷ 103.6). Adjust the base with the slider above.

Price level components

ComponentChicagoFresnoUS
All items103.6102.2100
Goods107.3105.2100
Housing (rents)112.095.7100
Other services100.5100.3100

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

Wages in both metros

OccupationChicagoFresnoDest. middle halfDest. OEWS emp.Gap
Chief Executives$344,960$188,930$132,840 to $276,290700−45.2%
Physicians, All Other$94,820$315,390$258,690 to $382,410450+232.6%
Architectural and Engineering Managers$163,430$175,530$137,710 to $206,120190+7.4%
Lawyers$165,660$162,680$107,860 to $203,3301,570−1.8%
Computer and Information Systems Managers$173,760$148,650$123,160 to $190,730650−14.5%
Pharmacists$140,880$169,160$151,320 to $189,760890+20.1%
Financial Managers$168,810$137,650$110,840 to $187,4601,370−18.5%
Marketing Managers$165,340$139,990$98,970 to $193,370430−15.3%

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 Fresno to match $90,000 in Chicago?
About $88,784, based on BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) of 103.6 and 102.2. 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.