cost
Cost of Living Index
Albuquerque59.6 / 100
Chicago61.8 / 0
Comparison
Side-by-side data for relocation, travel, hiring, and investment decisions. Values are shown with source-backed metric definitions so trade-offs are easy to compare.
Bars and radar use 0-100 better scores. Tooltips keep the raw source values visible.
Chart summary: Albuquerque leads Cost of Living Index with 100 out of 100; Albuquerque leads Safety Index with 100 out of 100; Chicago leads Median Monthly Rent with 100 out of 100; Chicago leads Average Salary with 100 out of 100. A complete normalized score table follows.
| Metric | Place | Raw value | Normalized score | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | Albuquerque | 59.6 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Cost of Living Index | Chicago | 61.8 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Safety Index | Albuquerque | 66.2 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Safety Index | Chicago | 62.6 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Median Monthly Rent | Albuquerque | $3,242 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Median Monthly Rent | Chicago | $3,201 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Albuquerque | $5,696/mo | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Chicago | $6,975/mo | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Albuquerque | 4.3% | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Chicago | 4.1% | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Healthcare Access Index | Albuquerque | 76.1 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Healthcare Access Index | Chicago | 57.3 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Albuquerque | 76.0 years | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Chicago | 75.7 years | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Air Quality PM2.5 | Albuquerque | 37.0 ug/m3 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | OpenAQ |
| Air Quality PM2.5 | Chicago | 27.3 ug/m3 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | OpenAQ |
cost
safety
housing
jobs
jobs
health
health
environment
Winner
Albuquerque wins on 12 of 22 metrics compared to Chicago.
Winner logic counts row wins after applying each metric direction. Exact ties do not count. Methodology
Top trade-offs
Albuquerque leads cost, safety, and health; Chicago leads rent, salary, and jobs.
cost
Albuquerque
59.6
Chicago
61.8
safety
Albuquerque
66.2
Chicago
62.6
housing
Albuquerque
$3,242
Chicago
$3,201
housing
Albuquerque
12.9x
Chicago
12.9x
jobs
Albuquerque
$5,696/mo
Chicago
$6,975/mo
jobs
Albuquerque
4.3%
Chicago
4.1%
health
Albuquerque
76.1
Chicago
57.3
health
Albuquerque
76.0 years
Chicago
75.7 years
environment
environment
infrastructure
demographics
Albuquerque
0.0%
Chicago
0.6%
education
Albuquerque
56
Chicago
69.5
transport
Albuquerque
64.9
Chicago
47.9
safety
Albuquerque
11.5 per 100k
Chicago
17.8 per 100k
safety
Albuquerque
33.5 per 100k
Chicago
59.8 per 100k
health
Albuquerque
21.1%
Chicago
20.6%
quality
Albuquerque
6.3
Chicago
6.2
housing
Albuquerque
$7,502/sqm
Chicago
$10,018/sqm
religion
Albuquerque
53.8%
Chicago
52.6%
religion
Albuquerque
50.8%
Chicago
50.4%
religion
Albuquerque
23.9%
Chicago
39.8%
Some city-level values are modeled estimates when official city-level data is unavailable.
Each metric keeps its source, year, last refreshed date, and confidence label visible. Review methodology or Data Sources.