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 | Boston | Chicago | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,981/mo | $1,314/mo | 50.8% higher in A |
| Median home value | $684,900 | $304,500 | 124.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $89,212 | $71,673 | 24.5% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.8 | 97.2 | 7.7% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 133.1 | 92.4 | 44.2% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 88.4 | 98.6 | 10.4% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 134.4 | 97.4 | 38.0% 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 Boston, you'd need $66,332 in Chicago to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 33.7% cheaper overall than Boston, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 34% lower in Chicago than in Boston. If you earn $80,000 in Boston, you'd need about $53,065 in Chicago to keep the same standard of living.