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 | Battle Creek | Topeka | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $879/mo | $926/mo | 5.1% lower in A |
| Median home value | $115,600 | $124,700 | 7.3% lower in A |
| Median household income | $49,684 | $54,052 | 8.1% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 94.5 | 94.7 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 94.0 | 89.8 | 4.7% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 98.8 | 94.7 | 4.2% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.4 | 95.4 | 4.2% higher 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 Battle Creek, you'd need $100,012 in Topeka to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Battle Creek and Topeka have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 6% lower in Battle Creek than in Topeka. If you earn $80,000 in Battle Creek, you'd need about $80,010 in Topeka to keep the same standard of living.