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 | Bowling Green | Chicago | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $931/mo | $1,314/mo | 29.1% lower in A |
| Median home value | $215,300 | $304,500 | 29.3% lower in A |
| Median household income | $47,118 | $71,673 | 34.3% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.0 | 104.3 | 7.0% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 81.1 | 86.2 | 6.0% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.0 | 99.9 | 1.9% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 96.3 | 99.6 | 3.3% 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 Bowling Green, you'd need $124,976 in Chicago to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Bowling Green, KY is about 20% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 39% lower in Bowling Green than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Bowling Green, you'd need about $99,981 in Chicago to keep the same standard of living.