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 | Waukegan | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,132/mo | 16.1% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $164,400 | 85.2% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $66,077 | 8.5% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 101.6 | 4.3% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 88.0 | 5.0% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 90.9 | 8.5% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 90.9 | 7.1% 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 $91,895 in Waukegan to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Waukegan, IL is about 8.1% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 14% lower in Waukegan than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $73,516 in Waukegan to keep the same standard of living.