$90,000 in New York ≈ $82,806 in Chicago

$82,806

Purchasing-power equivalent using BEA RPP 2024 (112.6 → 103.6). BLS OEWS May 2025 wages on linked pages.

Prices in Chicago run −8.0% vs New York for equal purchasing power at this salary level.

New York RPP
112.6
Chicago RPP
103.6
Price gap
−8.0%
Base salary
$90,000

Prices in Chicago run −8.0% versus New York on BEA all-items RPP (2024), so overall price levels are lower at the destination. A $90,000 paycheck in New York maps to about $82,806 in Chicago for equal purchasing power.

Your salary

Needed in Chicago: $82,806

Live math: salary × (103.6 ÷ 112.6). Same formula as the static ladder below.

Salary needed in Chicago

In New YorkIn Chicago
$60,000$55,204
$90,000$82,806
$150,000$138,011

Equivalent = origin salary × (103.6 ÷ 112.6). Adjust the base with the slider above.

Price level components

ComponentNew YorkChicagoUS
All items112.6103.6100
Goods110.3107.3100
Housing (rents)148.6112.0100
Other services105.8100.5100

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

Wages in both metros

OccupationNew YorkChicagoDest. middle halfDest. OEWS emp.Gap
Chief Executives$301,440$344,960$197,530 to $428,7103,610+14.4%
Financial Managers$221,010$168,810$131,120 to $220,15041,590−23.6%
Computer and Information Systems Managers$215,300$173,760$138,190 to $214,88024,950−19.3%
Lawyers$208,880$165,660$106,980 to $232,27028,320−20.7%
Sales Managers$215,150$158,690$110,000 to $212,00025,390−26.2%
Physicians, All Other$265,930$94,820$81,360 to $321,35016,950−64.3%
Marketing Managers$192,840$165,340$127,450 to $213,29017,400−14.3%
Architectural and Engineering Managers$183,890$163,430$133,100 to $200,4006,670−11.1%

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 Chicago to match $90,000 in New York?
About $82,806, based on BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) of 112.6 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.