Median rent is 10% lower in Chicago ($1,440/mo vs $1,602/mo). Buying is cheaper in Chicago, where the median home runs $334,100 versus $401,700. Households earn more in Katy ($114,912 vs $77,902 a year).
City A
Chicago, IL
City B
Katy, TX
How much would you need to earn in Katy, TX to maintain your standard of living from Chicago, IL?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each city's metro area. A rough estimate of overall purchasing power, not tax or take-home pay.
Metric
Chicago
Illinois
Katy
Texas
👥Population
💰Median Household Income
Annual
🏠Median Gross Rent
Per month
🏡Median Home Value
📊Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
🔑1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
🔑2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
🔑3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
🌬️Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
🏛️Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
🧾State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
🎂Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rent is modestly lower in Chicago at $1,440/mo compared to $1,602/mo in Katy (10% gap). Median home values are within 17% of each other: $334,100 in Chicago and $401,700 in Katy.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Chicago
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Katy
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Air quality data is available for Chicago (avg AQI 31.0) but not yet for Katy.
Pick Katy if you prioritize higher median household income ($114,912/yr).
Is Chicago cheaper than Katy?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Chicago vs Katy?
Median rent is $1,440/mo in Chicago, IL and $1,602/mo in Katy, TX. Chicago, IL has the lower rent by about 10%.
Which has higher salaries — Chicago or Katy?
Median household income is $77,902 in Chicago, IL and $114,912 in Katy, TX. Katy, TX has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Air quality data is not yet available for one or both cities.
Which has lower taxes — Chicago or Katy?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Katy to match my Chicago income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
