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 | Ames | Chicago | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,011/mo | $1,314/mo | 23.1% lower in A |
| Median home value | $247,500 | $304,500 | 18.7% lower in A |
| Median household income | $57,428 | $71,673 | 19.9% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 94.5 | 104.3 | 9.3% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 85.6 | 86.2 | 0.7% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 94.1 | 99.9 | 5.8% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.8 | 99.6 | 4.8% 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 Ames, you'd need $122,736 in Chicago to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Ames, IA is about 18.5% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 34% lower in Ames than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Ames, you'd need about $98,189 in Chicago to keep the same standard of living.