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 | Columbus | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,038/mo | 26.6% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $168,400 | 80.8% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $54,561 | 31.4% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 98.2 | 1.0% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 94.8 | 2.6% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 81.4 | 21.1% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 94.2 | 3.4% 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 $87,067 in Columbus to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Columbus, GA is about 12.9% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 21% lower in Columbus than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $69,653 in Columbus to keep the same standard of living.