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 | Waltham | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $2,141/mo | 38.6% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $679,000 | 55.2% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $113,443 | 36.8% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 100.0 | 4.2% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 86.2 | 133.9 | 35.6% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 101.3 | 1.4% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.6 | 103.9 | 4.2% 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 $122,614 in Waltham to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 18.4% cheaper overall than Waltham, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 29% lower in Chicago than in Waltham. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $98,091 in Waltham to keep the same standard of living.