City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Albany | Chicago | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $889/mo | $1,314/mo | 32.3% lower in A |
| Median home value | $111,200 | $304,500 | 63.5% lower in A |
| Median household income | $43,724 | $71,673 | 39.0% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.0 | 104.3 | 7.0% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 90.2 | 86.2 | 4.7% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 99.2 | 99.9 | 0.7% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.5 | 99.6 | 2.1% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Albany, you'd need $127,739 in Chicago to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Albany, GA is about 21.7% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 46% lower in Albany than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Albany, you'd need about $102,191 in Chicago to keep the same standard of living.