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 | Plainfield | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,847/mo | 28.9% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $377,200 | 19.3% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $143,064 | 49.9% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 104.0 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 86.2 | 86.0 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 99.4 | 0.5% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.6 | 100.1 | 0.5% 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 $105,037 in Plainfield to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 4.8% cheaper overall than Plainfield, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 10% lower in Chicago than in Plainfield. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $84,030 in Plainfield to keep the same standard of living.