Cost of Living: Brookline, MA 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 Brookline, MA versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 40.85% of gross in Brookline, MA versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Chicago, IL tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Brookline, MA 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: Brookline, MA
Cost of Living Index
Brookline, MA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)
Chicago, IL has a lower cost-of-living index than Brookline, MA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Brookline, MA: $2,664/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo
Median rent in Brookline, MA is $1,341/mo higher than in Chicago, IL.
Median Home Price
Brookline, MA: $1,233,100 · Chicago, IL: $147,800
Median home price in Brookline, MA is $1,085,300 higher than in Chicago, IL.
Median Household Income
Brookline, MA: $140,631 · Chicago, IL: $56,815
Brookline, MA has a higher median household income than Chicago, IL by $83,816.
Brookline, MA overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons