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 | Des Plaines | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,668/mo | $1,300/mo | 28.3% higher in A |
| Median home value | $458,200 | $304,100 | 50.7% higher in A |
| Median household income | $129,688 | $86,552 | 49.8% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 104.0 | 6.5% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 90.7 | 86.0 | 5.4% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 98.9 | 99.4 | 0.5% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.2 | 100.1 | 2.9% 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 $99,952 in Des Plaines to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Apex and Des Plaines have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 2% lower in Des Plaines than in Apex. If you earn $80,000 in Apex, you'd need about $79,961 in Des Plaines to keep the same standard of living.