Relocation: Fort Collins Metro, 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 Fort Collins-Loveland, 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.
Fort Collins-Loveland, 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 | Fort Collins-Loveland (Monthly) | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin (Monthly) | Monthly Delta ($) | Difference (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing (1BR Fair Market Rent) | $1,589 | $1,780 | +$191 | +12.0% |
| Food & Groceries | $389 | $385 | -$4 | -1.0% |
| Transportation | $1,093 | $947 | -$146 | -13.4% |
| Healthcare | $454 | $416 | -$38 | -8.4% |
| Other Necessities | $566 | $572 | +$6 | +1.1% |
| Total Taxes (Federal, State, Local, FICA) | $2,043 | $2,135 | +$92 | +4.5% |
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 | Fort Collins-Loveland Median | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin Median | Nominal Wage Delta | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $105,770 | $109,390 | +$3,620 (+3.4%) | View Dossier |
| Registered Nurse (RN)Healthcare | Healthcare | $97,600 | $100,490 | +$2,890 (+3.0%) | View Dossier |
| Accountant & AuditorFinance | Finance | $89,340 | $82,360 | -$6,980 (-7.8%) | View Dossier |
| Software EngineerTechnology | Technology | $133,990 | $134,380 | +$390 (+0.3%) | View Dossier |
| Financial ManagerFinance | Finance | $175,890 | $168,810 | -$7,080 (-4.0%) | View Dossier |
| Sales ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $198,550 | $158,690 | -$39,860 (-20.1%) | View Dossier |
| Computer and Information Systems ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $195,190 | $173,760 | -$21,430 (-11.0%) | View Dossier |
| Quality Control InspectorIndustrial Manufacturing | Industrial Manufacturing | $56,740 | $48,230 | -$8,510 (-15.0%) | View Dossier |
| Project Management SpecialistBusiness Operations | Business Operations | $101,310 | $105,320 | +$4,010 (+4.0%) | View Dossier |
| ElectricianSkilled Trades | Skilled Trades | $61,410 | $102,350 | +$40,940 (+66.7%) | View Dossier |
| Marketing ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $189,690 | $165,340 | -$24,350 (-12.8%) | View Dossier |
| Financial AnalystFinance | Finance | $101,610 | $101,750 | +$140 (+0.1%) | 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
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO to Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN Relocation FAQs
About $97,200. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (129.4 in Fort Collins-Loveland, CO, 125.8 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, from EPI family budgets); taxes are compared separately below.
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO to Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: State Paychecks, Rents & Reciprocal Corridor
Fort Collins-Loveland, 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: Fort Collins Metro, 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 $97,200. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (129.4 in Fort Collins-Loveland, 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 2.8% lower in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN than in Fort Collins-Loveland, CO. The budgets cover housing, food, transportation, health care and other necessities.