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 | Apex | Chicago | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,668/mo | $1,314/mo | 26.9% higher in A |
| Median home value | $458,200 | $304,500 | 50.5% higher in A |
| Median household income | $129,688 | $71,673 | 80.9% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 104.3 | 6.7% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 90.7 | 86.2 | 5.2% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 98.9 | 99.9 | 1.0% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.2 | 99.6 | 2.4% 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 Apex, you'd need $100,213 in Chicago to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Apex and Chicago have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 2% lower in Chicago than in Apex. If you earn $80,000 in Apex, you'd need about $80,171 in Chicago to keep the same standard of living.