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 | Waterbury | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,140/mo | 15.3% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $162,800 | 87.0% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $51,451 | 39.3% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 93.1 | 4.5% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 89.1 | 3.7% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 81.3 | 21.2% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 83.8 | 16.2% 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 $88,028 in Waterbury to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Waterbury, CT is about 12% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 13% lower in Waterbury than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $70,423 in Waterbury to keep the same standard of living.