Cost of Living: Charlotte, NC vs Chicago, IL

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,254/mo in Charlotte, NC versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 21.91% of gross in Charlotte, NC versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Chicago, IL tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Charlotte, NC
$4,254/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Chicago, IL
$4,227/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Charlotte, NC
21.91%
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 Charlotte, NC and Chicago, IL.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Charlotte, NC: 95.6 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Charlotte, NC: $1,429/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo

Median rent in Charlotte, NC is $106/mo higher than in Chicago, IL.

Median Home Price

Charlotte, NC: $351,500 · Chicago, IL: $147,800

Median home price in Charlotte, NC is $203,700 higher than in Chicago, IL.

Median Household Income

Charlotte, NC: $78,438 · Chicago, IL: $56,815

Charlotte, NC has a higher median household income than Chicago, IL by $21,623.

Charlotte, NC overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons