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. Cloud | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $944/mo | 39.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $189,600 | 60.6% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $58,910 | 21.7% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 95.7 | 8.9% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 86.2 | 89.6 | 3.8% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 93.6 | 6.8% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.6 | 94.3 | 5.6% 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 $80,025 in St. Cloud to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
St. Cloud, MN is about 20% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 38% lower in St. Cloud than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $64,020 in St. Cloud to keep the same standard of living.