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 | $1,130/mo | $1,314/mo | 14.0% lower in A |
| Median home value | $213,400 | $304,500 | 29.9% lower in A |
| Median household income | $54,736 | $71,673 | 23.6% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 101.0 | 97.2 | 3.8% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 99.3 | 92.4 | 7.5% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 95.9 | 98.6 | 2.7% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 104.7 | 97.4 | 7.5% higher 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 $116,281 in Chicago to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Albany, NY is about 14% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 14% lower in Albany than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Albany, you'd need about $93,025 in Chicago to keep the same standard of living.