Moving to Illinois from United States
What to Expect
Considering a move from United States to Illinois? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from United States to Illinois, you would find that Illinois is 1.4% cheaper than United States overall. A $75,000 salary in United States would need to be roughly $59,072 in Illinois to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between United States and Illinois.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $59,072
To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 7.1% less
Groceries
pay 8.3% less
Transportation
pay 0.5% more
Housing
pay 8.9% less
Childcare
pay 6.9% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 0.1% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Illinois cost about 30% less than cities in United States.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Illinois compared to United States.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Illinois performs significantly better than United States across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
United States performs better than Illinois across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
United States generally does better on employment & economy, though Illinois leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
United States performs better than Illinois across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Washington | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) | 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) | 74°/52°F (23°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) | 83°/61°F (29°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) | 52°/33°F (11°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Washington | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) | 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C) |
| Feb | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C) |
| Mar | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C) |
| Apr | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) | 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C) |
| May | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C) |
| Jun | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) | 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C) |
| Jul | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) | 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C) |
| Sep | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) | 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C) |
| Oct | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) | 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) | 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C) |
| Dec | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°C) | 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Illinois than United States?
On average Illinois is about 21% less expensive than United States, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Illinois?
Budget about $14,768 for 3 months in Illinois (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Illinois?
From major Illinois cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in United States and Illinois are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Illinois compared to United States?
Illinois performs significantly better than United States across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Illinois compared to United States?
The average high temperature in Springfield is 63°F, compared to 66°F in Washington. Springfield receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Washington gets 41.5 in.
What language do they speak in Illinois?
Both United States and Illinois share the same official language: English.
