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 | Rochester | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $995/mo | 32.1% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $111,400 | 173.3% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $44,156 | 62.3% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 101.0 | 3.7% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 99.3 | 7.0% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 95.9 | 2.8% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 104.7 | 7.0% 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 $75,721 in Rochester to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Rochester, NY is about 24.3% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 24% lower in Rochester than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $60,577 in Rochester to keep the same standard of living.