2026 Relocation & Cost Arbitrage Engine

Relocation: Idaho Falls, ID to Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, 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 Idaho Falls, ID to Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.

Popular Corridors:
Equivalent Salary
$114,200
To maintain parity
Cost of Living Delta
+14.2%
Overall expenditure basket
Annual Tax Delta
-$613
State + local taxes
Annual 1BR Rent Delta
+$8,592
HUD Fair Market Rents
Net Annual Buffer
-$9,205/yr
Tax + housing gain

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.

Presets:
$
$30,000 $100,000 $200,000 $300,000
Origin Location

Idaho Falls, ID

COL 110.1
Gross Annual Income $100,000
Federal Income Tax -$13,170
FICA (SS & Medicare) -$7,650
State Income Tax -$4,192
Local / City Tax $0
Net Annual Take-Home $74,988
HUD 1BR Fair Market Rent -$12,768
Discretionary Cash Flow $62,220
Target Market
Destination Location

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

COL 125.8
Gross Parity Income $114,200
Federal Income Tax -$16,294
FICA (SS & Medicare) -$8,736
State Income Tax -$5,508
Local / City Tax $0
Net Annual Take-Home $83,662
HUD 1BR Fair Market Rent -$21,360
Discretionary Cash Flow $62,302

EPI family budgets put living costs 14.2% higher in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN than in Idaho Falls, ID, so $100,000 in Idaho Falls goes about as far as $114,200 in Chicago. HUD's one-bedroom Fair Market Rent is $1,064 a month in Idaho Falls and $1,780 in Chicago, $8,592 a year more. On the same $100,000 salary a single filer pays $613 more a year in federal, state and local income tax and FICA in Chicago. Taxes and one-bedroom rent together leave you about $9,205 a year worse off. The BLS median wage across all occupations is $46,800 in Idaho Falls and $54,720 in Chicago.

Itemized Cost of Living Expenditure Arbitrage

Category-by-category breakdown of monthly baseline consumption between origin and destination.

Expenditure Category Idaho Falls (Monthly) Chicago-Naperville-Elgin (Monthly) Monthly Delta ($) Difference (%)
Housing (1BR Fair Market Rent)$1,064$1,780+$716+67.3%
Food & Groceries$363$385+$22+6.1%
Transportation$1,133$947-$186-16.4%
Healthcare$414$416+$2+0.5%
Other Necessities$434$572+$138+31.8%
Total Taxes (Federal, State, Local, FICA)$2,084$2,135+$51+2.4%

HUD Fair Market Rent Differential

1-Bedroom Fair Market Rent +$716/mo (67.3%)
Idaho Falls: $1,064/mo Chicago-Naperville-Elgin: $1,780/mo
2-Bedroom Fair Market Rent +$737/mo (57.8%)
Idaho Falls: $1,274/mo Chicago-Naperville-Elgin: $2,011/mo

EPI Living Wage Benchmark Comparison

1 Adult (No Children) +$3.47/hr (14.3%)
Idaho Falls: $24.35/hr Chicago-Naperville-Elgin: $27.82/hr
2 Adults + 1 Child (per earner) +$3.72/hr (18.1%)
Idaho Falls: $20.54/hr Chicago-Naperville-Elgin: $24.26/hr

Top Local Occupations Wage Parity

BLS median wage comparisons across benchmark roles between both metropolitan labor markets.

Occupation Title Industry Sector Idaho Falls Median Chicago-Naperville-Elgin Median Nominal Wage Delta Action
General and Operations ManagersFinance & ManagementFinance & Management$80,380$109,390+$29,010 (+36.1%)View Dossier
Registered Nurse (RN)HealthcareHealthcare$84,110$100,490+$16,380 (+19.5%)View Dossier
Financial ManagerFinanceFinance$128,500$168,810+$40,310 (+31.4%)View Dossier
Accountant & AuditorFinanceFinance$74,410$82,360+$7,950 (+10.7%)View Dossier
Software EngineerTechnologyTechnology$123,450$134,380+$10,930 (+8.9%)View Dossier
Management AnalystBusiness OperationsBusiness Operations$82,690$105,090+$22,400 (+27.1%)View Dossier
Sales ManagersFinance & ManagementFinance & Management$131,680$158,690+$27,010 (+20.5%)View Dossier
Computer and Information Systems ManagersFinance & ManagementFinance & Management$166,110$173,760+$7,650 (+4.6%)View Dossier
Quality Control InspectorIndustrial ManufacturingIndustrial Manufacturing$41,320$48,230+$6,910 (+16.7%)View Dossier
Project Management SpecialistBusiness OperationsBusiness Operations$102,250$105,320+$3,070 (+3.0%)View Dossier
ElectricianSkilled TradesSkilled Trades$65,350$102,350+$37,000 (+56.6%)View Dossier
Marketing ManagersFinance & ManagementFinance & Management$135,560$165,340+$29,780 (+22.0%)View Dossier

Major US Inter-Metro Relocation Corridors

Empirical cost differentials and statutory tax savings across high-volume migration routes.

New York-Newark-Jersey City → Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos

On $100k: $8,301 less tax and $14,388 less 1BR rent a year

-30.6% COL+$22,689/yr
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont → Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos

On $100k: $6,211 less tax and $17,676 less 1BR rent a year

-30.4% COL+$23,887/yr
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin → Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington

On $100k: $4,805 less tax and $2,928 less 1BR rent a year

-2.2% COL+$7,733/yr
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont → Columbus

On $100k: $1,729 less tax and $19,884 less 1BR rent a year

-41.0% COL+$21,613/yr
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim → Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler

On $100k: $4,113 less tax and $10,908 less 1BR rent a year

-13.5% COL+$15,021/yr
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue → Denver-Aurora-Centennial

On $100k: $3,761 more tax and $4,188 less 1BR rent a year

-13.6% COL+$427/yr
Boston-Cambridge-Newton → Raleigh-Cary

On $100k: $1,299 less tax and $11,592 less 1BR rent a year

-16.2% COL+$12,891/yr
New York-Newark-Jersey City → Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach

On $100k: $8,301 less tax and $7,296 less 1BR rent a year

-27.3% COL+$15,597/yr

Idaho Falls, ID to Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN Relocation FAQs

About $114,200. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (110.1 in Idaho Falls, ID, 125.8 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, from EPI family budgets); taxes are compared separately below.

Triangular Relocation & Tax Silo

Idaho Falls, ID to Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: State Paychecks, Rents & Reciprocal Corridor

Reverse Route: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN to Idaho Falls, ID
Relocation: Idaho Falls, ID to Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN Overview

Idaho Falls, ID to Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 2026 federal, state & local income tax, HUD Fair Market Rents & EPI living costs compared on the same. Official 2026 economic data for Relocation: Idaho Falls, ID to Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.

Quick answers
How much salary do I need in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN to match $100,000 in Idaho Falls, ID?

About $114,200. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (110.1 in Idaho Falls, ID, 125.8 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, from EPI family budgets); taxes are compared separately below.

Is Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN cheaper than Idaho Falls, ID?

EPI's family budgets for a single adult put overall living costs 14.2% higher in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN than in Idaho Falls, ID. The budgets cover housing, food, transportation, health care and other necessities.