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 | Burlington | Chicago | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,540/mo | $1,314/mo | 17.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $383,300 | $304,500 | 25.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $64,931 | $71,673 | 9.4% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 98.4 | 104.3 | 5.6% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 117.7 | 86.2 | 36.5% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 99.9 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 102.5 | 99.6 | 3.0% 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 Burlington, you'd need $98,122 in Chicago to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 1.9% cheaper overall than Burlington, VT, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Burlington, you'd need about $78,497 in Chicago to keep the same standard of living.