Cost of Living: Dover, DE vs Chicago, IL

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,131/mo in Dover, DE versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 18.24% of gross in Dover, DE versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Dover, DE tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Dover, DE
$4,131/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Chicago, IL
$4,227/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Dover, DE
18.24%
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 Dover, DE and Chicago, IL.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Dover, DE: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Dover, DE: $1,190/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo

Median rent in Chicago, IL is $133/mo higher than in Dover, DE.

Median Home Price

Dover, DE: $248,500 · Chicago, IL: $147,800

Median home price in Dover, DE is $100,700 higher than in Chicago, IL.

Median Household Income

Dover, DE: $58,336 · Chicago, IL: $56,815

Dover, DE has a higher median household income than Chicago, IL by $1,521.

Dover, DE overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons