Cost of Living: Waterloo, IA vs Chicago, IL
Quick rent-and-take-home comparison
Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,184/mo in Waterloo, IA versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 13.06% of gross in Waterloo, IA versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Waterloo, IA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Waterloo, IA and Chicago, IL.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Chicago, IL
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Waterloo, IA
- Lower home prices: Chicago, IL
- Higher median household income: Chicago, IL
Cost of Living Index
Waterloo, IA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)
Chicago, IL has a lower cost-of-living index than Waterloo, IA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Waterloo, IA: $852/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo
Median rent in Chicago, IL is $471/mo higher than in Waterloo, IA.
Median Home Price
Waterloo, IA: $150,200 · Chicago, IL: $147,800
Median home price in Waterloo, IA is $2,400 higher than in Chicago, IL.
Median Household Income
Waterloo, IA: $56,344 · Chicago, IL: $56,815
Chicago, IL has a higher median household income than Waterloo, IA by $471.
Waterloo, IA overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons