cost
Cost of Living Index
Indianapolis49.3 / 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: Indianapolis leads Cost of Living Index with 100 out of 100; Chicago leads Safety Index with 100 out of 100; Indianapolis leads Median Monthly Rent with 100 out of 100; Chicago leads House Price to Income with 100 out of 100. A complete normalized score table follows.
| Metric | Place | Raw value | Normalized score | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | Indianapolis | 49.3 | 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 | Indianapolis | 55.1 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Safety Index | Chicago | 62.6 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Median Monthly Rent | Indianapolis | $3,182 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Median Monthly Rent | Chicago | $3,201 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Indianapolis | 14.3x | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Chicago | 12.9x | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Indianapolis | $4,823/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 | Indianapolis | 6.5% | 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 | Indianapolis | 52.1 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Healthcare Access Index | Chicago | 57.3 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Indianapolis | 76.5 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 |
cost
safety
housing
housing
jobs
jobs
health
health
Winner
Chicago wins on 12 of 22 metrics compared to Indianapolis.
Winner logic counts row wins after applying each metric direction. Exact ties do not count. Methodology
Top trade-offs
Indianapolis leads cost, rent, and health; Chicago leads safety, housing, and salary.
cost
Indianapolis
49.3
Chicago
61.8
safety
Indianapolis
55.1
Chicago
62.6
housing
Indianapolis
$3,182
Chicago
$3,201
housing
Indianapolis
14.3x
Chicago
12.9x
jobs
Indianapolis
$4,823/mo
Chicago
$6,975/mo
jobs
Indianapolis
6.5%
Chicago
4.1%
health
Indianapolis
52.1
Chicago
57.3
health
Indianapolis
76.5 years
Chicago
75.7 years
environment
environment
infrastructure
demographics
Indianapolis
0.9%
Chicago
0.6%
education
Indianapolis
60.7
Chicago
69.5
transport
Indianapolis
70.5
Chicago
47.9
safety
Indianapolis
9.1 per 100k
Chicago
17.8 per 100k
safety
Indianapolis
44.5 per 100k
Chicago
59.8 per 100k
health
Indianapolis
20.4%
Chicago
20.6%
quality
Indianapolis
4.3
Chicago
6.2
housing
Indianapolis
$11,384/sqm
Chicago
$10,018/sqm
religion
Indianapolis
52.0%
Chicago
52.6%
religion
Indianapolis
55.7%
Chicago
50.4%
religion
Indianapolis
17.7%
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.