City comparison
Chicago, IL is about 175 miles (300 km) from Green Bay, WI in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 225 miles, or about 4 h 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 Green Bay, WI takes about 22 min, covering roughly 175 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 106,846 in Green Bay — about 25.5× larger by population. By land area, Chicago covers about 230 sq mi vs 45 sq mi for Green Bay.
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 | Green Bay | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $864/mo | 52.1% higher in Chicago |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $172,700 | 76.3% higher in Chicago |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $59,174 | 21.1% higher in Chicago |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 94.0 | 13.1% higher in Chicago |
| Utilities index | 84.4 | 90.2 | 6.9% higher in Green Bay |
| Transportation index | 100.3 | 99.2 | 1.1% higher in Chicago |
| Healthcare index | 100.2 | 99.4 | 0.8% higher in Chicago |
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 $83,179 in Green Bay to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Green Bay, WI is about 16.8% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 50% higher in Chicago than in Green Bay. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $66,543 in Green Bay to keep the same standard of living.