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 | Meriden | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,191/mo | 10.3% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $199,100 | 52.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $63,671 | 12.6% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 98.4 | 5.9% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 86.2 | 133.1 | 35.2% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 100.6 | 0.7% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.6 | 103.3 | 3.6% 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 $95,901 in Meriden to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Meriden, CT is about 4.1% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 17% lower in Meriden than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $76,720 in Meriden to keep the same standard of living.