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 | Albuquerque | Chicago | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,014/mo | $1,314/mo | 22.8% lower in A |
| Median home value | $246,000 | $304,500 | 19.2% lower in A |
| Median household income | $61,503 | $71,673 | 14.2% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 100.2 | 97.2 | 3.1% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 118.8 | 92.4 | 28.7% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 96.6 | 98.6 | 2.0% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 93.2 | 97.4 | 4.3% 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 Albuquerque, you'd need $108,725 in Chicago to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Albuquerque, NM is about 8% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 23% lower in Albuquerque than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Albuquerque, you'd need about $86,980 in Chicago to keep the same standard of living.