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 | St. Charles | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,115/mo | 17.8% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $259,700 | 17.3% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $83,589 | 14.3% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 98.9 | 5.4% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 86.2 | 76.5 | 12.8% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 98.1 | 1.9% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.6 | 98.8 | 0.8% 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 $86,455 in St. Charles to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
St. Charles, MO is about 13.5% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 25% lower in St. Charles than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $69,164 in St. Charles to keep the same standard of living.