Cost of Living: Waltham, 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 Waltham, MA versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 32.52% of gross in Waltham, MA versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Chicago, IL tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Waltham, 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: Waltham, MA
Cost of Living Index
Waltham, MA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)
Chicago, IL has a lower cost-of-living index than Waltham, MA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Waltham, MA: $2,121/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo
Median rent in Waltham, MA is $798/mo higher than in Chicago, IL.
Median Home Price
Waltham, MA: $705,700 · Chicago, IL: $147,800
Median home price in Waltham, MA is $557,900 higher than in Chicago, IL.
Median Household Income
Waltham, MA: $116,560 · Chicago, IL: $56,815
Waltham, MA has a higher median household income than Chicago, IL by $59,745.
Waltham, MA overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons