City comparison
Chicago, IL is about 475 miles (750 km) from Sioux Falls, SD in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 600 miles, or about 10 h behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Chicago, IL to Sioux Falls, SD takes about 57 min, covering roughly 475 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Chicago has a population of 2,721,914, vs 193,401 in Sioux Falls — about 14.1× larger by population. By land area, Chicago covers about 230 sq mi vs 84 sq mi for Sioux Falls.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
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 | Sioux Falls | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $965/mo | 36.2% higher in Chicago |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $250,000 | 21.8% higher in Chicago |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $71,785 | 0.2% higher in Sioux Falls |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 95.5 | 11.3% higher in Chicago |
| Utilities index | 84.4 | 81.7 | 3.3% higher in Chicago |
| Transportation index | 100.3 | 92.3 | 8.6% higher in Chicago |
| Healthcare index | 100.2 | 92.5 | 8.3% higher in Chicago |
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 $81,954 in Sioux Falls to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Sioux Falls, SD is about 18% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 44% higher in Chicago than in Sioux Falls. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $65,563 in Sioux Falls to keep the same standard of living.