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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
This is one of the closest races in our database: the top 5 cities are separated by just 8 points on the cost index. Chicago, Joliet, Naperville, Rockford, Elgin are all within striking distance. At this margin, secondary factors — taxes, rent trends, category-specific costs — become the tiebreakers…
#1 Ranked: Chicago — cost index 111, rent $2,292/mo, income $75,134
Top 5 separated by only 8 points
4 of 5 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
This is one of the closest races in our database: the top 5 cities are separated by just 8 points on the cost index. Chicago, Joliet, Naperville, Rockford, Elgin are all within striking distance. At this margin, secondary factors — taxes, rent trends, category-specific costs — become the tiebreakers. Here's the full breakdown.
Dive into Chicago's numbers: cost index 111 (1 points below national average), rent $2,292/month, income $75,134, and a home price of $312,457. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 102, while Housing runs 127. As a major city with 2,664,452 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
Bottom line: Chicago leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
The race is tight: Chicago, Joliet, Naperville, Rockford, Elgin are all within 8 points of each other. At this level, differences in rent, taxes, or a single category can sway the decision.
Rent in #1-ranked Chicago has increased from $2,179 to $2,292/mo over the past 12 months — a 5% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time.
2,664,452 residents · Illinois
At $2,292/month for rent and a cost index of 111, Chicago is pretty much what you'd expect from a larger city in this part of the country. Income is $75,134. There's not much to say about that beyond the obvious.
150,489 residents · Illinois
The way we see it, What does daily life actually cost in Joliet? Start with the 21% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Utilities (index 89) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 100) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $88,026 and homes at $255,981 round out a profile that ranks #2 for clear reasons.
150,245 residents · Illinois
A closer look at Naperville: the cost index of 122 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — breaks down to a Utilities index of 112 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 154 (weakest). Median rent is $2,157/month — 14% above the national median — while household income sits at $150,937, meaning locals spend about 17% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
146,120 residents · Illinois
Here's Rockford by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 86. Rent: $1,151/month. Income: $53,328/year. Home price: $172,610. Population: 146,120. The strongest category is Housing at 66; the most expensive is Healthcare at 89. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $8,928 per year vs. the national median. If you're debt-free, those savings go straight to building wealth.
113,310 residents · Illinois
No sugarcoating: Why Elgin ranks #5: the numbers tell a clear story. At 103 on the cost index, residents save roughly 9% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,736/month while the median household pulls in $88,316/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 94, though Healthcare (106) lags behind. Home prices average $323,259 — $144,111 below the national median (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Chicago | 4.95% | 8.83% | 1.73% | $54,085 |
2Joliet | 4.95% | 8.83% | 1.73% | $54,085 |
3Naperville | 4.95% | 8.83% | 1.73% | $54,085 |
4Rockford | 4.95% | 8.83% | 1.73% | $54,085 |
5Elgin | 4.95% | 8.83% | 1.73% | $54,085 |
Chicago ranks #1 in Illinois for this analysis with a cost index of 111 and median income of $75,134.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Chicago (ranked #1) has a cost index of 111 and rent of $2,292/mo, while Elgin (ranked #5) has a cost index of 103 and rent of $1,736/mo — a 8-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Chicago is $2,292/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $397 above the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Chicago is $312,457, which is 4.2× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. The national median home price is $467,370.
Illinois has a 4.95% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.83%, and the effective property tax rate is 1.73%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.