City comparison
Chicago, IL is about 500 miles (800 km) from Madison, AL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 600 miles, or about 10 hours behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Chicago, IL to Madison, AL takes about 59 min, covering roughly 500 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Chicago has a population of 2,721,914, vs 56,967 in Madison — about 47.8× larger by population. By land area, Chicago covers about 230 sq mi vs 31 sq mi for Madison.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
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 | Madison | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,201/mo | 9.4% higher in Chicago |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $327,100 | 7.4% higher in Madison |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $118,132 | 64.8% higher in Madison |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 96.6 | 10.1% higher in Chicago |
| Utilities index | 84.4 | 84.9 | 0.6% higher in Madison |
| Transportation index | 100.3 | 97.0 | 3.4% higher in Chicago |
| Healthcare index | 100.2 | 96.5 | 3.8% higher in Chicago |
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 $84,576 in Madison to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Madison, AL is about 15.4% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 40% higher in Chicago than in Madison. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $67,661 in Madison to keep the same standard of living.