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 | Portland | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,377/mo | 4.6% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $411,600 | 26.0% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $71,498 | 0.2% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 98.3 | 6.0% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 86.2 | 124.0 | 30.5% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 101.0 | 1.1% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.6 | 103.6 | 3.9% 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 $101,605 in Portland to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 1.6% cheaper overall than Portland, ME, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 3% lower in Portland than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $81,284 in Portland to keep the same standard of living.