TL;DRChicago is 44% cheaper on rent ($2,388/mo vs $4,281/mo). New York is safer — homicide rate 3.9 vs 17.5 per 100k. Both cities require a personal relationship with your winter coat.

Too close to call — 56 vs 53. New York has a slight edge, but Chicago might suit you better depending on your priorities.

Verdict delivered. Your move.

The winner's file

🇺🇸 New York

Full profile. Verify before you pack.

Due diligence

🇺🇸 Chicago

Every verdict deserves an appeal.

Plot twist

New York vs Los Angeles

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

New York

Metric

Chicago

$997/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$819/mo✓

$13,582

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$8623✓

✓58 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

34 / 100

✓3.9 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

17.5 / 100k

14.2 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

14.2 / 100k

✓49 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

35 / 100

82°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

81°F

30°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

25°F

162 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

180 Mbps✓

13.2 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

11.3 μg/m³✓

79 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

80 / 100

7.8 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

7.8 / 10

8.0 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

8.0 / 9

67 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

67 / 100

100/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

100/100

$86k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$86k

2.9% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

2.9% · Boringly steady

83/100 — Mostly stable

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

83/100 — Mostly stable

80/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

80/100

A median Software Engineer in New York takes home $10,945/mo under Standard employee. In Chicago: $11,064/mo under Standard employee.

$119/mo more in Chicago

Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.

$191k

💰

Gross income

$191k

−$45k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$44k

−$14k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$14k

$131k/yr

$11k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$133k/yr✓

$11k/mo

−$91k

🏠

Cost of living

−$57k

$40k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

$75k/yr✓

Swap the local medians for your actual number

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated April 2026

💰

Cost of Living

Chicago

$1,893/mo cheaper on rent alone

🔒

Safety

New York

3.9 homicides per 100k

Sun

How much sky you actually get

54% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

53% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

9.3h

Shortest day

Dec

9.1h

15.1h

Longest day

Jun

15.2h

Sun clocks out before 5pm in both cities come December. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

stable →

Democracy trend

stable →

improving ↑

Inflation trend

improving ↑

financemediatechfashion

Industries

financetradinghealthcaremanufacturing

hub

Startup ecosystem

hub

Easy

🇺🇸 Your visa

Easy

Moderate

EU visa

Moderate

Suspended

RU visa

Suspended

Moderate

UA visa

Moderate

⚠️ Partner work rights are very limited

Spouse works

⚠️ Partner work rights are very limited

Not recognized

Partner pathway

Not recognized

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request

Abortion access

On request

24 wk

Gestational limit

24 wk

Statutory 24-week-or-viability standard.

Protected by the Reproductive Health Act; regional access hub for the Midwest.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Legal

Marriage

Legal

Joint adoption

Adoption

Joint adoption

Yes

Job protection

Yes

Hate crime law

Yes

New York vs Chicago — Common Questions

Is New York cheaper than Chicago?▾

Chicago is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $2388/month there vs $4281/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, New York or Chicago?▾

New York is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. New York has a rate of 3.90 per 100,000 and Chicago has 17.50 per 100,000.

Should I move to New York or Chicago?▾

Too close to call — 56 vs 53. New York has a slight edge, but Chicago might suit you better depending on your priorities. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in New York or Chicago?▾

New York: US Employment-Based Green Card (complex process, Permanent residence). Chicago: US Employment-Based Green Card (complex process, Permanent residence). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

What's the cost of rent in New York vs Chicago?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $2388/month in Chicago, $4281/month in New York (Numbeo). That's 44% cheaper rent in Chicago.