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 | Gary | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $929/mo | 41.4% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $81,800 | 272.2% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $36,874 | 94.4% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 104.0 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 86.2 | 86.0 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 99.4 | 0.5% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.6 | 100.1 | 0.5% 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 $96,152 in Gary to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Gary, IN is about 3.8% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 8% lower in Gary than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $76,922 in Gary to keep the same standard of living.