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 | New Bedford | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,026/mo | 28.1% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $291,300 | 4.5% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $54,604 | 31.3% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 101.0 | 3.7% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 99.3 | 7.0% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 95.9 | 2.8% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 104.7 | 7.0% 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 $78,076 in New Bedford to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
New Bedford, MA is about 21.9% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 22% lower in New Bedford than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $62,461 in New Bedford to keep the same standard of living.