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 | The Villages | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,711/mo | 23.2% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $346,900 | 12.2% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $73,415 | 2.4% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 106.1 | 8.3% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 105.1 | 12.1% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 94.9 | 3.9% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 115.5 | 15.7% lower 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 $116,940 in The Villages to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 14.5% cheaper overall than The Villages, FL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 23% lower in Chicago than in The Villages. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $93,552 in The Villages to keep the same standard of living.