Relocation: Lewiston-Auburn, ME 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 Lewiston-Auburn, ME 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.
Lewiston-Auburn, ME
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 | Lewiston-Auburn (Monthly) | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin (Monthly) | Monthly Delta ($) | Difference (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing (1BR Fair Market Rent) | $1,282 | $1,780 | +$498 | +38.8% |
| Food & Groceries | $371 | $385 | +$14 | +3.8% |
| Transportation | $1,053 | $947 | -$106 | -10.1% |
| Healthcare | $559 | $416 | -$143 | -25.6% |
| Other Necessities | $394 | $572 | +$178 | +45.2% |
| Total Taxes (Federal, State, Local, FICA) | $2,162 | $2,135 | -$27 | -1.2% |
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 | Lewiston-Auburn Median | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin Median | Nominal Wage Delta | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $96,730 | $109,390 | +$12,660 (+13.1%) | View Dossier |
| Registered Nurse (RN)Healthcare | Healthcare | $85,870 | $100,490 | +$14,620 (+17.0%) | View Dossier |
| Financial ManagerFinance | Finance | $131,190 | $168,810 | +$37,620 (+28.7%) | View Dossier |
| Accountant & AuditorFinance | Finance | $75,980 | $82,360 | +$6,380 (+8.4%) | View Dossier |
| Software EngineerTechnology | Technology | $117,700 | $134,380 | +$16,680 (+14.2%) | View Dossier |
| Management AnalystBusiness Operations | Business Operations | $86,530 | $105,090 | +$18,560 (+21.4%) | View Dossier |
| Sales ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $125,230 | $158,690 | +$33,460 (+26.7%) | View Dossier |
| Computer and Information Systems ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $138,050 | $173,760 | +$35,710 (+25.9%) | View Dossier |
| Quality Control InspectorIndustrial Manufacturing | Industrial Manufacturing | $48,310 | $48,230 | -$80 (-0.2%) | View Dossier |
| Project Management SpecialistBusiness Operations | Business Operations | $102,490 | $105,320 | +$2,830 (+2.8%) | View Dossier |
| ElectricianSkilled Trades | Skilled Trades | $78,430 | $102,350 | +$23,920 (+30.5%) | View Dossier |
| Marketing ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $126,140 | $165,340 | +$39,200 (+31.1%) | 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
Lewiston-Auburn, ME to Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN Relocation FAQs
About $118,500. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (106.1 in Lewiston-Auburn, ME, 125.8 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, from EPI family budgets); taxes are compared separately below.
Lewiston-Auburn, ME to Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: State Paychecks, Rents & Reciprocal Corridor
Lewiston-Auburn, ME 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: Lewiston-Auburn, ME to Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.
Quick answers
About $118,500. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (106.1 in Lewiston-Auburn, ME, 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 18.5% higher in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN than in Lewiston-Auburn, ME. The budgets cover housing, food, transportation, health care and other necessities.