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 | Pontiac | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $947/mo | 38.8% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $100,100 | 204.2% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $40,307 | 77.8% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 98.1 | 6.3% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 86.2 | 102.4 | 15.8% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 100.9 | 0.9% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.6 | 101.5 | 1.9% 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 $92,294 in Pontiac to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Pontiac, MI is about 7.7% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 19% lower in Pontiac than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $73,835 in Pontiac to keep the same standard of living.