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 | Lowell | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,466/mo | 10.4% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $362,800 | 16.1% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $73,008 | 1.8% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 96.5 | 0.8% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 93.4 | 1.1% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 87.4 | 12.8% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 92.3 | 5.5% 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 $102,084 in Lowell to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 2% cheaper overall than Lowell, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 10% lower in Chicago than in Lowell. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $81,667 in Lowell to keep the same standard of living.