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 | Mankato | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,023/mo | 28.4% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $236,200 | 28.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $61,726 | 16.1% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 95.7 | 8.9% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 86.2 | 88.5 | 2.5% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 93.6 | 6.8% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.6 | 94.3 | 5.6% 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 $84,937 in Mankato to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Mankato, MN is about 15.1% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 27% lower in Mankato than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $67,949 in Mankato to keep the same standard of living.