Relocation: Denver-Aurora, CO to Chicago Metro, IL-IN
Data updated · Sources: HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology
Income tax, HUD Fair Market Rents and EPI living costs for a move from Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO to Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.
Interactive Purchasing Power Equivalency Workbench
Adjust your current salary at origin to dynamically compute the statutory tax burden, housing costs, and discretionary cash in both markets.
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Itemized Cost of Living Expenditure Arbitrage
Category-by-category breakdown of monthly baseline consumption between origin and destination.
| Expenditure Category | Denver-Aurora-Centennial (Monthly) | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin (Monthly) | Monthly Delta ($) | Difference (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing (1BR Fair Market Rent) | $1,831 | $1,780 | -$51 | -2.8% |
| Food & Groceries | $384 | $385 | +$1 | +0.3% |
| Transportation | $1,047 | $947 | -$100 | -9.6% |
| Healthcare | $436 | $416 | -$20 | -4.6% |
| Other Necessities | $628 | $572 | -$56 | -8.9% |
| Total Taxes (Federal, State, Local, FICA) | $2,048 | $2,135 | +$87 | +4.2% |
HUD Fair Market Rent Differential
EPI Living Wage Benchmark Comparison
Top Local Occupations Wage Parity
BLS median wage comparisons across benchmark roles between both metropolitan labor markets.
| Occupation Title | Industry Sector | Denver-Aurora-Centennial Median | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin Median | Nominal Wage Delta | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $142,330 | $109,390 | -$32,940 (-23.1%) | View Dossier |
| Registered Nurse (RN)Healthcare | Healthcare | $101,130 | $100,490 | -$640 (-0.6%) | View Dossier |
| Software EngineerTechnology | Technology | $137,610 | $134,380 | -$3,230 (-2.3%) | View Dossier |
| Accountant & AuditorFinance | Finance | $100,020 | $82,360 | -$17,660 (-17.7%) | View Dossier |
| Financial ManagerFinance | Finance | $193,400 | $168,810 | -$24,590 (-12.7%) | View Dossier |
| Management AnalystBusiness Operations | Business Operations | $102,620 | $105,090 | +$2,470 (+2.4%) | View Dossier |
| Project Management SpecialistBusiness Operations | Business Operations | $116,740 | $105,320 | -$11,420 (-9.8%) | View Dossier |
| Computer and Information Systems ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $203,340 | $173,760 | -$29,580 (-14.5%) | View Dossier |
| Sales ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $181,580 | $158,690 | -$22,890 (-12.6%) | View Dossier |
| ElectricianSkilled Trades | Skilled Trades | $63,150 | $102,350 | +$39,200 (+62.1%) | View Dossier |
| Quality Control InspectorIndustrial Manufacturing | Industrial Manufacturing | $58,430 | $48,230 | -$10,200 (-17.5%) | View Dossier |
| Financial AnalystFinance | Finance | $104,480 | $101,750 | -$2,730 (-2.6%) | View Dossier |
Major US Inter-Metro Relocation Corridors
Empirical cost differentials and statutory tax savings across high-volume migration routes.
On $100k: $8,301 less tax and $14,388 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $6,211 less tax and $17,676 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $4,805 less tax and $2,928 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $1,729 less tax and $19,884 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $4,113 less tax and $10,908 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $3,761 more tax and $4,188 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $1,299 less tax and $11,592 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $8,301 less tax and $7,296 less 1BR rent a year
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO to Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN Relocation FAQs
About $91,800. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (137.1 in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO, 125.8 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, from EPI family budgets); taxes are compared separately below.
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO to Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: State Paychecks, Rents & Reciprocal Corridor
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO to Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 2026 federal, state & local income tax, HUD Fair Market Rents & EPI living costs compared on. Official 2026 economic data for Relocation: Denver-Aurora, CO to Chicago Metro, IL-IN compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.
Quick answers
About $91,800. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (137.1 in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO, 125.8 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, from EPI family budgets); taxes are compared separately below.
EPI's family budgets for a single adult put overall living costs 8.2% lower in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN than in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO. The budgets cover housing, food, transportation, health care and other necessities.