Cost of Living: Rochester, NY vs Chicago, IL
Quick rent-and-take-home comparison
Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,116/mo in Rochester, NY versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 15.14% of gross in Rochester, NY versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Rochester, NY tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Rochester, NY and Chicago, IL.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Rochester, NY
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Rochester, NY
- Lower home prices: Rochester, NY
- Higher median household income: Chicago, IL
Cost of Living Index
Rochester, NY: 88.4 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)
Rochester, NY has a lower cost-of-living index than Chicago, IL, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Rochester, NY: $987/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo
Median rent in Chicago, IL is $336/mo higher than in Rochester, NY.
Median Home Price
Rochester, NY: $120,600 · Chicago, IL: $147,800
Median home price in Chicago, IL is $27,200 higher than in Rochester, NY.
Median Household Income
Rochester, NY: $46,628 · Chicago, IL: $56,815
Chicago, IL has a higher median household income than Rochester, NY by $10,187.
Rochester, NY overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons