Cost of Living: Athens, AL vs Chicago, IL

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,224/mo in Athens, AL versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 12.15% of gross in Athens, AL versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Athens, AL tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Athens, AL
$4,224/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Chicago, IL
$4,227/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Athens, AL
12.15%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Chicago, IL
20.28%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Athens, AL and Chicago, IL.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Chicago, IL
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Athens, AL
  • Lower home prices: Chicago, IL
  • Higher median household income: Athens, AL

Cost of Living Index

Athens, AL: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)

Chicago, IL has a lower cost-of-living index than Athens, AL, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Athens, AL: $793/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo

Median rent in Chicago, IL is $530/mo higher than in Athens, AL.

Median Home Price

Athens, AL: $253,700 · Chicago, IL: $147,800

Median home price in Athens, AL is $105,900 higher than in Chicago, IL.

Median Household Income

Athens, AL: $65,000 · Chicago, IL: $56,815

Athens, AL has a higher median household income than Chicago, IL by $8,185.

Athens, AL overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons