Cost of Living: Valparaiso, IN vs Chicago, IL

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,332/mo in Valparaiso, IN versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 16.65% of gross in Valparaiso, IN versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Valparaiso, IN tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Valparaiso, IN
$4,332/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Chicago, IL
$4,227/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Valparaiso, IN
16.65%
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 Valparaiso, IN and Chicago, IL.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Valparaiso, IN: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Valparaiso, IN: $1,085/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo

Median rent in Chicago, IL is $238/mo higher than in Valparaiso, IN.

Median Home Price

Valparaiso, IN: $250,500 · Chicago, IL: $147,800

Median home price in Valparaiso, IN is $102,700 higher than in Chicago, IL.

Median Household Income

Valparaiso, IN: $67,664 · Chicago, IL: $56,815

Valparaiso, IN has a higher median household income than Chicago, IL by $10,849.

Valparaiso, IN overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons