Cost of Living: Clearwater, FL vs Chicago, IL

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,516/mo in Clearwater, FL versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 22.42% of gross in Clearwater, FL versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Chicago, IL tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Clearwater, FL
$4,516/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Chicago, IL
$4,227/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Clearwater, FL
22.42%
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 Clearwater, FL 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: Clearwater, FL

Cost of Living Index

Clearwater, FL: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Clearwater, FL: $1,462/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo

Median rent in Clearwater, FL is $139/mo higher than in Chicago, IL.

Median Home Price

Clearwater, FL: $326,100 · Chicago, IL: $147,800

Median home price in Clearwater, FL is $178,300 higher than in Chicago, IL.

Median Household Income

Clearwater, FL: $64,440 · Chicago, IL: $56,815

Clearwater, FL has a higher median household income than Chicago, IL by $7,625.

Clearwater, FL overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons