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 | Johnson City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $893/mo | 47.1% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $215,500 | 41.3% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $53,173 | 34.8% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 97.0 | 7.5% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 86.2 | 78.8 | 9.4% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 96.8 | 3.3% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.6 | 95.0 | 4.8% 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 $79,010 in Johnson City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Johnson City, TN is about 21% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 40% lower in Johnson City than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $63,208 in Johnson City to keep the same standard of living.