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 | Detroit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $989/mo | 32.9% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $66,700 | 356.5% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $37,761 | 89.8% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 100.9 | 3.6% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 70.6 | 30.9% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 103.5 | 4.7% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 111.1 | 12.4% lower 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 $90,272 in Detroit to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Detroit, MI is about 9.7% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 25% lower in Detroit than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $72,218 in Detroit to keep the same standard of living.