City comparison
Chicago, IL is about 10 miles (20 km) from Elmhurst, IL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 17 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Chicago, IL to Elmhurst, IL takes about 2 min, covering roughly 10 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Chicago has a population of 2,721,914, vs 45,648 in Elmhurst — about 59.6× larger by population. By land area, Chicago covers about 230 sq mi vs 10 sq mi for Elmhurst.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
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 | Elmhurst | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,843/mo | 40.3% higher in Elmhurst |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $516,900 | 69.8% higher in Elmhurst |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $143,492 | 100.2% higher in Elmhurst |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 106.3 | ≈ equal (Chicago slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 84.4 | 84.3 | ≈ equal (Chicago slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 100.3 | 100.2 | ≈ equal (Chicago slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 100.2 | 100.4 | ≈ equal (Elmhurst slightly higher) |
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 $101,483 in Elmhurst to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 1.5% cheaper overall than Elmhurst, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 3% higher in Elmhurst than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $81,186 in Elmhurst to keep the same standard of living.