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 | Grand Rapids | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,138/mo | 15.5% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $203,900 | 49.3% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $61,634 | 16.3% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 101.7 | 4.4% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 88.0 | 4.9% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 91.0 | 8.3% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 91.1 | 6.9% 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 $92,186 in Grand Rapids to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Grand Rapids, MI is about 7.8% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 13% lower in Grand Rapids than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $73,749 in Grand Rapids to keep the same standard of living.