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 | West Lafayette | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,056/mo | 24.4% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $303,300 | 0.4% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $30,317 | 136.4% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 94.9 | 9.8% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 86.2 | 88.0 | 2.0% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 98.5 | 1.5% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.6 | 99.1 | ≈ equal |
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 $85,613 in West Lafayette to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
West Lafayette, IN is about 14.4% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 28% lower in West Lafayette than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $68,491 in West Lafayette to keep the same standard of living.