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 | Evanston | Meridian | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,625/mo | $1,548/mo | 5.0% higher in A |
| Median home value | $454,600 | $425,800 | 6.8% higher in A |
| Median household income | $93,188 | $93,296 | 0.1% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.0 | 98.5 | 5.5% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 86.0 | 87.0 | 1.1% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 99.4 | 100.7 | 1.3% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 100.1 | 100.5 | ≈ 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 Evanston, you'd need $97,030 in Meridian to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Meridian, ID is about 3% cheaper overall than Evanston, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 5% lower in Meridian than in Evanston. If you earn $80,000 in Evanston, you'd need about $77,624 in Meridian to keep the same standard of living.