Cost comparison
Compare rent, housing, utilities, groceries, salary needs, and move score across the city profiles currently available in LifeAtlas.
Illinois
Evanston is a supplemental starter city profile for the premium Chicago-adjacent university market in Illinois, useful for route coverage and starter comparisons around rent, housing, utilities, wages, benefits, insurance, and moving costs.
Illinois
Elgin is a supplemental starter city profile for the Chicago-area commuter and family market in Illinois, useful for route coverage and starter comparisons around rent, housing, utilities, wages, benefits, insurance, and moving costs.
Comparison
Elgin has the lower salary-needed estimate, while Elgin has the lower starter rent. Differences are shown as Elgin minus Evanston.
| Metric | Evanston | Elgin | Difference | Advantage | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,494 | $1,822 | -$672 | Elgin | Elgin has the lower median rent. |
| Home price | $479,745 | $333,920 | -$145,825 | Elgin | Elgin has the lower home price. |
| Utilities | $202/mo | $190/mo | -$12/mo | Elgin | Elgin has the lower utilities. |
| Groceries index | 106 | 103 | -3 | Elgin | Elgin has the lower groceries index. |
| Salary needed | $84,491 | $68,138 | -$16,353 | Elgin | Elgin has the lower salary needed. |
| Move score | 72/100 | 77/100 | +5 | Elgin | Elgin has the higher move score. |