Cost of Living: Hilo, HI vs Chicago, IL

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,874/mo in Hilo, HI versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 19.63% of gross in Hilo, HI versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Hilo, HI tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Hilo, HI
$3,874/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Chicago, IL
$4,227/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Hilo, HI
19.63%
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 Hilo, HI and Chicago, IL.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Hilo, HI: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Hilo, HI: $1,280/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo

Median rent in Chicago, IL is $43/mo higher than in Hilo, HI.

Median Home Price

Hilo, HI: $455,100 · Chicago, IL: $147,800

Median home price in Hilo, HI is $307,300 higher than in Chicago, IL.

Median Household Income

Hilo, HI: $78,713 · Chicago, IL: $56,815

Hilo, HI has a higher median household income than Chicago, IL by $21,898.

Hilo, HI overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons