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 | Springfield | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,047/mo | 25.5% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $198,500 | 53.4% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $47,677 | 50.3% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 92.1 | 5.6% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 87.8 | 5.2% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 79.6 | 23.9% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 81.4 | 19.7% higher 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 $84,011 in Springfield to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Springfield, MA is about 16% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 20% lower in Springfield than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $67,209 in Springfield to keep the same standard of living.