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 | Mesquite | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,323/mo | 0.7% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $208,800 | 45.8% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $69,649 | 2.9% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 107.0 | 102.7 | 4.2% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 83.8 | 91.5 | 8.4% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 100.4 | 98.5 | 1.9% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 100.4 | 100.0 | ≈ equal |
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 $101,507 in Mesquite to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 1.5% cheaper overall than Mesquite, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 4% lower in Chicago than in Mesquite. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $81,206 in Mesquite to keep the same standard of living.