Cost of Living: Malden, MA vs Chicago, IL

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,224/mo in Malden, MA versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 30.1% of gross in Malden, MA versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Chicago, IL tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Malden, MA
$4,224/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Chicago, IL
$4,227/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Malden, MA
30.1%
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 Malden, MA 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: Malden, MA

Cost of Living Index

Malden, MA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Malden, MA: $1,963/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo

Median rent in Malden, MA is $640/mo higher than in Chicago, IL.

Median Home Price

Malden, MA: $607,500 · Chicago, IL: $147,800

Median home price in Malden, MA is $459,700 higher than in Chicago, IL.

Median Household Income

Malden, MA: $95,298 · Chicago, IL: $56,815

Malden, MA has a higher median household income than Chicago, IL by $38,483.

Malden, MA overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons