Cost of Living: Blaine, MN vs Chicago, IL

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,119/mo in Blaine, MN versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 24.87% of gross in Blaine, MN versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Chicago, IL tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Blaine, MN
$4,119/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Chicago, IL
$4,227/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Blaine, MN
24.87%
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 Blaine, MN and Chicago, IL.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Blaine, MN: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Blaine, MN: $1,622/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo

Median rent in Blaine, MN is $299/mo higher than in Chicago, IL.

Median Home Price

Blaine, MN: $327,500 · Chicago, IL: $147,800

Median home price in Blaine, MN is $179,700 higher than in Chicago, IL.

Median Household Income

Blaine, MN: $103,382 · Chicago, IL: $56,815

Blaine, MN has a higher median household income than Chicago, IL by $46,567.

Blaine, MN overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons