Cost of Living: Mason City, IA vs Chicago, IL
Quick rent-and-take-home comparison
Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,184/mo in Mason City, IA versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 12.74% of gross in Mason City, IA versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Mason City, IA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Mason City, IA and Chicago, IL.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Chicago, IL
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Mason City, IA
- Lower home prices: Mason City, IA
- Higher median household income: Mason City, IA
Cost of Living Index
Mason City, IA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)
Chicago, IL has a lower cost-of-living index than Mason City, IA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Mason City, IA: $831/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo
Median rent in Chicago, IL is $492/mo higher than in Mason City, IA.
Median Home Price
Mason City, IA: $130,000 · Chicago, IL: $147,800
Median home price in Chicago, IL is $17,800 higher than in Mason City, IA.
Median Household Income
Mason City, IA: $62,369 · Chicago, IL: $56,815
Mason City, IA has a higher median household income than Chicago, IL by $5,554.
Mason City, IA overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons