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 | Summerville | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,328/mo | 1.1% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $276,600 | 10.1% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $73,712 | 2.8% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 97.0 | 7.4% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 86.2 | 90.2 | 4.4% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 99.0 | 1.0% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.6 | 97.2 | 2.4% 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 $101,102 in Summerville to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 1.1% cheaper overall than Summerville, SC, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 5% lower in Chicago than in Summerville. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $80,882 in Summerville to keep the same standard of living.