Cost of Living: Louisville, KY 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 Louisville, KY versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 15.98% of gross in Louisville, KY versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Louisville, KY tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Louisville, KY and Chicago, IL.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Louisville, KY
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Louisville, KY
- Lower home prices: Chicago, IL
- Higher median household income: Louisville, KY
Cost of Living Index
Louisville, KY: 86.8 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)
Louisville, KY has a lower cost-of-living index than Chicago, IL, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Louisville, KY: $1,042/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo
Median rent in Chicago, IL is $281/mo higher than in Louisville, KY.
Median Home Price
Louisville, KY: $237,200 · Chicago, IL: $147,800
Median home price in Louisville, KY is $89,400 higher than in Chicago, IL.
Median Household Income
Louisville, KY: $67,849 · Chicago, IL: $56,815
Louisville, KY has a higher median household income than Chicago, IL by $11,034.
Louisville, KY overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons