City comparison
Chicago, IL is about 20 miles (40 km) from Gary, IN in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 30 miles, or about 30 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 Gary, IN takes about 3 min, covering roughly 20 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 69,136 in Gary — about 39.4× larger by population. By land area, Chicago covers about 230 sq mi vs 50 sq mi for Gary.
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 | Gary | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $929/mo | 41.4% higher in Chicago |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $81,800 | 272.2% higher in Chicago |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $36,874 | 94.4% higher in Chicago |
| 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 (Gary 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 $98,861 in Gary to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Gary, IN is about 1.1% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 3% higher in Chicago than in Gary. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $79,089 in Gary to keep the same standard of living.