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 | Bethesda | Chicago | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,312/mo | $1,314/mo | 76.0% higher in A |
| Median home value | $1,088,000 | $304,500 | 257.3% higher in A |
| Median household income | $185,546 | $71,673 | 158.9% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 103.0 | 104.3 | 1.2% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 103.1 | 86.2 | 19.6% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 101.8 | 99.9 | 1.9% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 100.1 | 99.6 | 0.5% 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 Bethesda, you'd need $81,589 in Chicago to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 18.4% cheaper overall than Bethesda, MD, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 32% lower in Chicago than in Bethesda. If you earn $80,000 in Bethesda, you'd need about $65,271 in Chicago to keep the same standard of living.