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 | Moorhead | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $997/mo | 31.8% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $234,300 | 30.0% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $68,680 | 4.4% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 95.8 | 8.8% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 86.2 | 81.7 | 5.6% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 93.0 | 7.5% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.6 | 93.7 | 6.3% 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 $84,299 in Moorhead to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Moorhead, MN is about 15.7% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 27% lower in Moorhead than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $67,439 in Moorhead to keep the same standard of living.