At a glance
Denver is 2.1% more expensive than Chicago on BEA’s overall price index, and median rent is $444 a month higher in Denver.
Price parity is 103.6 in Chicago and 105.8 in Denver (U.S. = 100); median gross rent is $1,430 and $1,874 a month.
Price index and rent come from different surveys and describe metro averages; neither predicts a household’s own costs.
Sources: BLS wages (May 2025) · BEA price parity (2024) · Census ACS (2020–2024) · metro areas, not city limits · How we calculate
Cost of living: Chicago vs. Denver
Using 2024 BEA regional price parities, Denver has an all-items metro price level about 2.1% higher than Chicago relative to the same national benchmark. This is a ratio of broad price indexes, not a forecast of what a specific household would spend. Denver has a $444 higher reported monthly metro-wide median gross rent than Chicago. The two measures point in the same direction for these metros, but they cover different baskets and populations.
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| Official metro indicator | Chicago | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| BEA 2024 all-items price parity | 103.6 | 105.8 |
| ACS 2020–2024 median gross rent / month | $1,430 | $1,874 |
| ACS gross-rent margin of error | ± $6 | ± $9 |
| ACS median household income (± MOE) | $90,887 ± $454 | $105,762 ± $739 |
| ACS 45+ minute commute share | 23.5% | 15.4% |
These figures cover the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metropolitan areas, not the named cities alone. ACS gross rent includes estimated utilities and is not an asking rent; sampling uncertainty means small gaps may not be meaningful.
What a salary in Chicago is worth in Denver
BEA’s 2024 all-items parity is 103.6 for Chicago and 105.8 for Denver, so matching on that index takes about 2.1% more gross pay in Denver than in Chicago. Twelve months of median gross rent is 18.9% of median household income in Chicago and 21.3% in Denver (renter rent over all-household income, so a rough contrast rather than a budget).
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| Gross pay in Chicago | Same index value in Denver | Gross pay in Denver | Same index value in Chicago |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $51,056 | $50,000 | $48,966 |
| $75,000 | $76,583 | $75,000 | $73,449 |
| $100,000 | $102,111 | $100,000 | $97,933 |
| $150,000 | $153,167 | $150,000 | $146,899 |
| $200,000 | $204,222 | $200,000 | $195,865 |
Equal index value is not equal take-home pay: taxes, benefits and housing choices differ.
Median gross rents differ by $444 a month ($5,328 over twelve months). That gap is already part of the price index, so do not subtract it again; use real quotes in the worksheet.
How do salaries differ between Chicago and Denver?
80 of 80 curated occupations have a reported annual median wage in both metros. The 12 examples below are the most common jobs in the smaller metro, not the highest- or lowest-paid.
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| BLS occupation | Chicago median | Denver median | Chicago adjusted | Denver adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | $35,820 | $38,470 | $34,577 | $36,367 |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $101,130 | $97,003 | $95,602 |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $137,610 | $129,717 | $130,088 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $47,100 | $48,590 | $45,466 | $45,934 |
| General and Operations Managers | $109,390 | $142,330 | $105,594 | $134,550 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $100,020 | $79,502 | $94,553 |
| Project Management Specialists | $105,320 | $116,740 | $101,665 | $110,359 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $40,550 | $46,290 | $39,143 | $43,760 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $75,350 | $81,060 | $72,735 | $76,629 |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | $80,400 | $99,040 | $77,610 | $93,627 |
| Office Clerks, General | $46,330 | $53,990 | $44,722 | $51,039 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $50,440 | $49,760 | $48,690 | $47,040 |
The price-adjusted wage equals the BLS May 2025 annual occupational median × 100 ÷ the BEA 2024 all-items regional price parity. Census rent, household income and commuting figures are ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates. They describe different populations and do not determine take-home pay, employment prospects or individual rent. ACS gross rent includes contract rent plus estimated utility and fuel costs.
What changes after adjusting wages for regional prices?
Among the 12 displayed, matched BLS occupations, 1 have a different leading metro for nominal versus price-adjusted median wages, and 11 keep the same leader. Adjusted values divide each median by the metro’s BEA parity; they are not tax-adjusted.
Where the price-adjusted gap is largest
Across the 80 occupations with a reported median in both metros, Chicago has the higher price-adjusted median in 29 and Denver in 51. For the typical occupation (the median of the occupation-by-occupation differences), the adjusted median in Chicago is 2.9% lower than in Denver.
The table lists the eight occupations with the largest percentage differences, in either direction. A large gap can reflect a small local employer base, so check the career page before drawing conclusions.
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| BLS occupation | Chicago adjusted | Denver adjusted | Higher in | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricians | $98,798 | $59,698 | Chicago | 65.5% |
| Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $99,792 | $60,407 | Chicago | 65.2% |
| Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | $99,522 | $60,577 | Chicago | 64.3% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $107,399 | $78,841 | Chicago | 36.2% |
| Architectural and Civil Drafters | $56,759 | $75,495 | Denver | 33.0% |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $95,535 | $74,899 | Chicago | 27.6% |
| Construction Laborers | $58,777 | $46,095 | Chicago | 27.5% |
| General and Operations Managers | $105,594 | $134,550 | Denver | 27.4% |
Difference is the gap relative to the lower of the two adjusted medians.
Which jobs are more common in Chicago or Denver
Raw employment counts mostly track metro size. To compare, this table divides BLS estimated employment by ACS commuting workers (jobs per 10,000 commuters). Of the 74 occupations with at least 1,000 estimated workers in both metros, these are the most over-represented in each.
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| BLS occupation | Chicago per 10,000 | Denver per 10,000 | More common in | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machinists | 29.5 | 8.4 | Chicago | 3.5× |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 413.6 | 153.9 | Chicago | 2.7× |
| Financial Managers | 108.9 | 59.6 | Chicago | 1.8× |
| Architectural and Civil Drafters | 2.7 | 16.9 | Denver | 6.2× |
| Computer Network Architects | 14.1 | 81.6 | Denver | 5.8× |
| Web and Digital Interface Designers | 3.9 | 16.9 | Denver | 4.4× |
A rough size scaling, not a formal location quotient. Employment estimates are not job openings.
Investigate a specific career before deciding
Open the dashboard with a role and both metros already selected. Amounts you enter stay in your browser.
Moving between Chicago and Denver: what should you check?
The checklist works in either direction. Get written offers and current rent quotes for the neighborhoods you would consider; metro medians are not listings. The full offer checklist covers taxes, benefits and one-time costs.