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 | Richardson | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,725/mo | 23.8% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $379,800 | 19.8% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $94,362 | 24.0% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 106.2 | 8.5% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 105.3 | 12.3% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 95.2 | 3.6% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 116.0 | 16.0% 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 $117,562 in Richardson to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 14.9% cheaper overall than Richardson, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 24% lower in Chicago than in Richardson. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $94,049 in Richardson to keep the same standard of living.