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 | Austin | Des Plaines | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,300/mo | 19.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $304,100 | 51.8% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $86,552 | 0.0% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 104.0 | 8.4% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 86.0 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 97.5 | 99.4 | 1.9% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 95.8 | 100.1 | 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 Austin, you'd need $97,496 in Des Plaines to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Des Plaines, IL is about 2.5% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 10% lower in Des Plaines than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $77,996 in Des Plaines to keep the same standard of living.