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 | Jersey City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,799/mo | 27.0% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $500,100 | 39.1% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $91,151 | 21.4% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 103.2 | 5.8% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 147.4 | 37.3% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 100.7 | 2.1% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 99.9 | 2.5% 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 $122,871 in Jersey City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 18.6% cheaper overall than Jersey City, NJ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 27% lower in Chicago than in Jersey City. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $98,297 in Jersey City to keep the same standard of living.