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 | Lincoln | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $998/mo | 31.7% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $230,400 | 32.2% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $67,846 | 5.6% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 96.3 | 0.9% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 91.7 | 0.7% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 96.9 | 1.8% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 99.1 | 1.7% 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 $75,953 in Lincoln to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Lincoln, NE is about 24% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 24% lower in Lincoln than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $60,762 in Lincoln to keep the same standard of living.