Cost of Living: Gastonia, 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 Gastonia, NC versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 16.68% of gross in Gastonia, NC versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Gastonia, NC tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Gastonia, NC
$4,254/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Chicago, IL
$4,227/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Gastonia, NC
16.68%
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 Gastonia, NC and Chicago, IL.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

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

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

Median Rent

Gastonia, NC: $1,088/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo

Median rent in Chicago, IL is $235/mo higher than in Gastonia, NC.

Median Home Price

Gastonia, NC: $250,000 · Chicago, IL: $147,800

Median home price in Gastonia, NC is $102,200 higher than in Chicago, IL.

Median Household Income

Gastonia, NC: $60,554 · Chicago, IL: $56,815

Gastonia, NC has a higher median household income than Chicago, IL by $3,739.

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