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 | Knoxville | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,043/mo | 26.0% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $184,200 | 65.3% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $48,309 | 48.4% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 98.7 | 1.5% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 94.8 | 2.6% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 100.5 | 1.9% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 94.8 | 2.8% 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 $79,379 in Knoxville to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Knoxville, TN is about 20.6% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 21% lower in Knoxville than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $63,503 in Knoxville to keep the same standard of living.