Cost of Living: Richmond, VA vs Chicago, IL

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,181/mo in Richmond, VA versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 19.15% of gross in Richmond, VA versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Richmond, VA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Richmond, VA
$4,181/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Chicago, IL
$4,227/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Richmond, VA
19.15%
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 Richmond, VA and Chicago, IL.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Richmond, VA: 93.8 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Richmond, VA: $1,249/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo

Median rent in Chicago, IL is $74/mo higher than in Richmond, VA.

Median Home Price

Richmond, VA: $328,100 · Chicago, IL: $147,800

Median home price in Richmond, VA is $180,300 higher than in Chicago, IL.

Median Household Income

Richmond, VA: $62,671 · Chicago, IL: $56,815

Richmond, VA has a higher median household income than Chicago, IL by $5,856.

Richmond, VA overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons