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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Let's be honest: Illinois isn't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Chicago proves it with a cost index of 134, the lowest in Illinois, and we've ranked all 5 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
#1 Ranked: Chicago — cost index 134, rent $2,292/mo, income $75,134
Chicago is a clear outlier at index 134
3 of 5 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Let's be honest: Illinois isn't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Chicago proves it with a cost index of 134, the lowest in Illinois, and we've ranked all 5 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
Dive into Chicago's numbers: cost index 134 (23 points above national average), rent $2,292/month, income $75,134, and a home price of $312,457. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 107, while Housing runs 134. 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.
#1-ranked Chicago has a cost index 30 points higher than the top-5 average of 104. That's not a marginal lead — it's a category of its own.
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 134, 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, Housing (index 91) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 98) 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 126 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — breaks down to a Healthcare index of 105 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 126 (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: 67. Rent: $1,151/month. Income: $53,328/year. Home price: $172,610. Population: 146,120. The strongest category is Housing at 67; the most expensive is Healthcare at 93. 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 101 on the cost index, residents save roughly 10% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,736/month while the median household pulls in $88,316/year. The Healthcare category is particularly strong at 100, though Housing (101) 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 134 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 134 and rent of $2,292/mo, while Elgin (ranked #5) has a cost index of 101 and rent of $1,736/mo — a 33-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.