✦ Compare
Chicago vs
Pune
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
Chicago, IL vs Pune, IN at a glance — Pune, IN is 64% cheaper than Chicago, IL overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $250/mo versus $1,900/mo. Top income tax: 30% vs 37%.
To keep the same standard of living in Pune, IN, you'd need
$27,122 / year
Pune, IN is 64% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Pune, IN vs Chicago, IL)
- Housing-78%
- Food & groceries-63%
- Transport-70%
- Utilities-47%
- Healthcare-61%
- Goods & services-49%
◎ How Chicago, IL and Pune, IN compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Chicago, IL | Pune, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 103 | 37 |
| Housing | 116 | 25 |
| Food | 95 | 35 |
| Transport | 101 | 30 |
| Utilities | 90 | 48 |
| Healthcare | 98 | 38 |
| Goods & services | 98 | 50 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $1,900/mo | $250/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $1,450/mo | $160/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $3,600/mo | $650/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $5,500 | $1,500 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $973 | $2,692 |
| Inexpensive meal | $18 | $3 |
| Monthly transit pass | $105 | $20 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 37% | 30% |
| VAT / sales tax | 0% | 18% |
| Social security (employee) | 7.7% | — |
| Corporate tax | 21% | 25% |
| Capital gains | 20% | — |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $4,300/mo | $500/mo |
| Minimum wage | $1,257/mo | $150/mo |
| GDP per capita | $90,027 | $2,702 |
| Inflation (annual) | — | 2.4% |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | No |
| English proficiency | Native | High |
| Coworking spaces | 90 | 45 |
| Time zone | UTC-6 | UTC+5.5 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 48 | 58 |
| Healthcare index | 80 | 62 |
| Pollution index | 45 | 62 |
| Internet speed | 200 Mbps | 50 Mbps |
| Walkability | 78 | 45 |
| Public transport | 78 | 42 |
| Family-friendly | 60 | 58 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Use caution |
| Health insurance | $450/mo | $25/mo |
| Life expectancy | 79 yr | 72 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | Low |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | -4 °C | +21 °C |
| July avg | +24 °C | +25 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 189 | 250 |
| Rainfall / year | 950 mm | 720 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 3 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: United States vs India. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
Good to know before you move to Chicago
Big-city amenities and architecture at Midwest prices — the winters, though, are famously brutal.
- Currency
- US dollar ($ USD)
- Languages
- English
- Time zone
- UTC-6
- Internet
- 200 Mbps
- English
- Native language
- Safety
- 48/100
- Climate
- ❄ -4°C · ☀ 24°C · 189 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- A/B · 120V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Loop · Wicker Park · Lincoln Park
Good to know before you move to Pune
A booming education and IT hub a few hours inland from Mumbai, with a milder climate and a big student and tech-worker crowd. Costs are among the lowest of any major tech city worldwide; the trade-offs are worsening traffic and stretched infrastructure.
- Currency
- Indian rupee (₹ INR)
- Languages
- Hindi, English
- Time zone
- UTC+5.5
- Internet
- 50 Mbps
- English
- Widely spoken
- Safety
- 58/100
- Climate
- ❄ 21°C · ☀ 25°C · 250 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Bottled recommended
- Power
- C/D/M · 230V
- Driving
- Left-hand side
- Popular areas
- Koregaon Park · Kalyani Nagar · Viman Nagar · Baner
Plan your move to Chicago
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsNH Hotels
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Parking & carWay.com
Sponsored
Plan your move to Pune
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
Sponsored
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Chicago to Pune: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Chicago to Pune, your cost of living will be roughly 64% cheaper. Pune’s cost-of-living index is 37 versus 103 for Chicago (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Chicago cheaper than Pune?
Pune is about 64% cheaper than Chicago overall — its cost-of-living index is 37 versus 103 for Chicago.
How much do you need to earn in Pune to live like in Chicago?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Chicago is worth about $27,122 in Pune. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Chicago or Pune?
India has the lower top income-tax rate — 30% versus 37% in United States.
◷ More comparisons from Chicago
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.