Cost of Living: Hartford, CT vs Chicago, IL

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,108/mo in Hartford, CT versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 17.79% of gross in Hartford, CT versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Hartford, CT tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Hartford, CT
$4,108/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Chicago, IL
$4,227/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Hartford, CT
17.79%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Chicago, IL
20.28%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Hartford, CT and Chicago, IL.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Chicago, IL
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Hartford, CT
  • Lower home prices: Chicago, IL
  • Higher median household income: Chicago, IL

Cost of Living Index

Hartford, CT: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)

Chicago, IL has a lower cost-of-living index than Hartford, CT, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Hartford, CT: $1,160/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo

Median rent in Chicago, IL is $163/mo higher than in Hartford, CT.

Median Home Price

Hartford, CT: $217,200 · Chicago, IL: $147,800

Median home price in Hartford, CT is $69,400 higher than in Chicago, IL.

Median Household Income

Hartford, CT: $45,300 · Chicago, IL: $56,815

Chicago, IL has a higher median household income than Hartford, CT by $11,515.

Hartford, CT overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons