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 | Chicago | Clifton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,633/mo | 19.5% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $428,000 | 28.9% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $94,179 | 23.9% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 98.2 | 1.0% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 95.7 | 3.4% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 90.5 | 8.9% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 96.7 | 0.7% 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 Chicago, you'd need $109,287 in Clifton to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 8.5% cheaper overall than Clifton, NJ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 20% lower in Chicago than in Clifton. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $87,429 in Clifton to keep the same standard of living.