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 | Meridian | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,548/mo | 15.1% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $425,800 | 28.5% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $93,296 | 23.2% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 98.5 | 5.8% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 86.2 | 87.0 | 0.9% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 100.7 | 0.7% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.6 | 100.5 | 1.0% 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 $99,826 in Meridian to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago and Meridian have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $79,861 in Meridian to keep the same standard of living.