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 | Norfolk | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,188/mo | 10.6% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $254,200 | 19.8% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $60,998 | 17.5% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 99.9 | 2.7% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 97.1 | 4.9% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 84.4 | 16.8% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 99.0 | 1.6% 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 $93,719 in Norfolk to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Norfolk, VA is about 6.3% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 10% lower in Norfolk than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $74,975 in Norfolk to keep the same standard of living.