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 | Columbia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,895/mo | 30.7% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $458,700 | 33.6% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $124,537 | 42.4% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 98.7 | 1.5% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 94.8 | 2.6% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 100.5 | 1.9% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 94.8 | 2.8% 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 $144,215 in Columbia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 30.7% cheaper overall than Columbia, MD, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 31% lower in Chicago than in Columbia. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $115,372 in Columbia to keep the same standard of living.