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 | Salt Lake City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,254/mo | 4.8% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $458,600 | 33.6% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $72,357 | 0.9% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 102.5 | 5.1% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 122.5 | 24.6% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 101.2 | 2.6% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 99.4 | 2.1% 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 $102,354 in Salt Lake City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 2.3% cheaper overall than Salt Lake City, UT, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 5% lower in Salt Lake City than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $81,883 in Salt Lake City to keep the same standard of living.