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 | Dubuque | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $915/mo | 43.6% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $178,000 | 71.1% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $63,520 | 12.8% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 94.5 | 10.3% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 86.2 | 84.4 | 2.2% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 94.1 | 6.2% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.6 | 94.8 | 5.1% 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 $78,971 in Dubuque to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Dubuque, IA is about 21% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 39% lower in Dubuque than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $63,177 in Dubuque to keep the same standard of living.