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 | Arlington | Des Plaines | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,297/mo | $1,300/mo | 0.2% lower in A |
| Median home value | $251,300 | $304,100 | 17.4% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,736 | $86,552 | 17.1% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 99.1 | 104.0 | 4.7% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 86.0 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 95.9 | 99.4 | 3.6% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.7 | 100.1 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Arlington, you'd need $99,923 in Des Plaines to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Arlington and Des Plaines have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 4% lower in Des Plaines than in Arlington. If you earn $80,000 in Arlington, you'd need about $79,938 in Des Plaines to keep the same standard of living.