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 | Gainesville | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,151/mo | 14.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $216,600 | 40.6% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $43,783 | 63.7% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 99.5 | 2.3% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 96.5 | 4.3% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 83.7 | 17.8% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 97.8 | ≈ equal |
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 $92,076 in Gainesville to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Gainesville, FL is about 7.9% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 12% lower in Gainesville than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $73,661 in Gainesville to keep the same standard of living.