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 | Waterloo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $865/mo | 51.9% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $142,000 | 114.4% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $54,104 | 32.5% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 94.5 | 10.3% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 86.2 | 86.1 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 94.1 | 6.2% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.6 | 94.8 | 5.1% 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 $78,372 in Waterloo to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Waterloo, IA is about 21.6% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 41% lower in Waterloo than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $62,697 in Waterloo to keep the same standard of living.