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 | Niagara Falls | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $763/mo | 72.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $94,900 | 220.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $45,932 | 56.0% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 100.1 | 4.2% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 86.2 | 120.4 | 28.4% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 97.2 | 2.8% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.6 | 99.8 | ≈ 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 $87,528 in Niagara Falls to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Niagara Falls, NY is about 12.5% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 32% lower in Niagara Falls than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $70,022 in Niagara Falls to keep the same standard of living.