Relocation: Lowell, MA 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 Lowell, MA 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.
Lowell, MA
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 | Lowell (Monthly) | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin (Monthly) | Monthly Delta ($) | Difference (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing (1BR Fair Market Rent) | $1,831 | $1,780 | -$51 | -2.8% |
| Food & Groceries | $421 | $385 | -$36 | -8.6% |
| Transportation | $1,050 | $947 | -$103 | -9.8% |
| Healthcare | $413 | $416 | +$3 | +0.7% |
| Other Necessities | $608 | $572 | -$36 | -5.9% |
| Total Taxes (Federal, State, Local, FICA) | $2,133 | $2,135 | +$2 | +0.1% |
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 | Lowell Median | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin Median | Nominal Wage Delta | Action |
|---|
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
Lowell, MA to Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN Relocation FAQs
About $93,500. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (134.5 in Lowell, MA, 125.8 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, from EPI family budgets); taxes are compared separately below.
Lowell, MA to Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: State Paychecks, Rents & Reciprocal Corridor
Lowell, MA to Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 2026 federal, state and local income tax, HUD Fair Market Rents and EPI living costs compared on the same salary. Official 2026 economic data for Relocation: Lowell, MA 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 $93,500. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (134.5 in Lowell, MA, 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 6.5% lower in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN than in Lowell, MA. The budgets cover housing, food, transportation, health care and other necessities.