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 | Washington | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,817/mo | 27.7% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $705,000 | 56.8% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $101,722 | 29.5% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 101.9 | 4.6% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 87.6 | 5.5% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 90.0 | 9.6% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 92.8 | 5.0% 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 $114,797 in Washington to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 12.9% cheaper overall than Washington, DC, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 28% lower in Chicago than in Washington. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $91,837 in Washington to keep the same standard of living.