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 | $1,194/mo | $1,314/mo | 9.1% lower in A |
| Median home value | $321,600 | $304,500 | 5.6% higher in A |
| Median household income | $69,777 | $71,673 | 2.6% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.9 | 104.3 | 0.6% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 110.9 | 86.2 | 28.6% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 101.6 | 99.9 | 1.7% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 101.4 | 99.6 | 1.9% 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 $101,541 in Chicago to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Albany, OR is about 1.5% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 10% lower in Albany than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Albany, you'd need about $81,233 in Chicago to keep the same standard of living.