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 | Bellevue | Chicago | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,422/mo | $1,314/mo | 84.3% higher in A |
| Median home value | $1,139,500 | $304,500 | 274.2% higher in A |
| Median household income | $149,551 | $71,673 | 108.7% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 93.6 | 97.2 | 3.7% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 89.2 | 92.4 | 3.5% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 120.5 | 98.6 | 22.2% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 128.1 | 97.4 | 31.6% 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 Bellevue, you'd need $54,254 in Chicago to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 45.7% cheaper overall than Bellevue, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 46% lower in Chicago than in Bellevue. If you earn $80,000 in Bellevue, you'd need about $43,403 in Chicago to keep the same standard of living.