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 | College Station | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,129/mo | 16.4% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $305,800 | 0.4% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $52,397 | 36.8% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 99.2 | 2.0% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 96.2 | 4.0% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 83.2 | 18.5% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 97.1 | ≈ equal |
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 $91,104 in College Station to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
College Station, TX is about 8.9% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 14% lower in College Station than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $72,883 in College Station to keep the same standard of living.