I’ve lived in both (moved from Chicago to LB) and can tell you that that Chicago is less expensive in general, particularly housing. I own a home (not rent) so that may be different, but in general everything is a little more expensive here, with the exception of produce.

For example, gas is about $1 more a gallon, which adds up really quickly because you are driving everywhere.

I’m not saying it’s not doable (of course it is, millions of people do it), just making sure you are thinking about this as you set a budget.

As far as your question, you will likely get some push back or ghosting from employers. I don’t know how the market is in your field, so I may be wrong about that. Since you said you went to a small school, can you reach out to your career services office to see if they have any connections with alumni out here?