Head to head
Chicago, IL vs Tucson, AZ
Tucson is cheaper — estimated essentials for a single person run about $469/mo less, and living comfortably there takes roughly $13,000 less in annual salary (taxes included).
It flips for a family. For two adults with a pre-schooler and a school-age child, Chicago is the cheaper of the two — rent scales to household size using each city's own bedroom spread, and childcare varies even more sharply between cities than rent does.
| Metric | Chicago61 | Tucson65 |
|---|---|---|
| Est. monthly cost (single) | $4,293 | $3,824 |
| Est. monthly cost (family of 4, incl. childcare) | $9,545 | $9,567 |
| Salary for comfort | $81,000/yr | $68,000/yr |
| Typical rent | $1,781 | $1,402 |
| Median home value | $315,200 | $242,200 |
| Median household income | $75,134 | $54,546 |
| Unemployment | 5.9% | 5.7% |
| Housing score | 52 | 44 |
| Jobs score | 7 | 5 |
| Safety score | 66 | 91 |
| Climate score | 89 | 84 |
| Amenities score | 73 | 58 |
| Population | 2.7M | 543.3K |
| Summer high / winter low | 85° / 21° | 100° / 40° |
Fit scores use the reference profile (single, $6,700/mo gross, default weights). Green marks the better value per row.
Chicago, IL
Tucson, AZ