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 | Roswell | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $855/mo | 53.7% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $130,200 | 133.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $48,298 | 48.4% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 98.5 | 5.8% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 86.2 | 92.1 | 6.4% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 100.4 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 99.6 | 100.2 | 0.6% 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 $81,263 in Roswell to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Roswell, NM is about 18.7% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 41% lower in Roswell than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $65,010 in Roswell to keep the same standard of living.