Cost of Living
per year
per month
How Chicago's prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
Index: 100 = US city average. Values >100 mean more expensive, <100 means cheaper.
How far does your salary go in Chicago?
Your $100,000 in Chicago has the same purchasing power as $96,497 in the average US city. You'd need $3,503 more here to maintain that standard of living.
Demographics and workforce data from the US Census ACS 5-Year.
bachelor's or higher
Climate, safety, and walkability indicators.
See a side-by-side breakdown of cost of living, housing, and salaries.
Popular comparisons
Sorted by affordability — most affordable first.
Chicago, Illinois has a cost-of-living index of 104, which is 4% above the national average. The typical renter pays $1,314 per month. The median household earns $71,673 per year.
To match the lifestyle of a $70,000 earner in the average US city, you'd need about $72,541 per year in Chicago. Single renters typically want at least three times the $15,768 threshold to cover housing comfortably.
Chicago is near the US city average. Overall prices are 4% above the national average.