Fayetteville vs Joliet
Cost of Living Comparison · 2026
Fayetteville
Joliet
The Verdict
Fayetteville is 14.7% less expensive than Joliet overall. A household earning $75,000 in Fayetteville would need approximately $87,963 in Joliet to maintain the same standard of living.
Category-by-Category Breakdown
Index values · National average = 100 · Lower is more affordable
Salary Equivalence
A $75,000 salary in Fayetteville has the same purchasing power as $87,963 in Joliet.
Conversely, $75,000 in Joliet equals $63,947 in Fayetteville.
Living in Fayetteville vs Joliet
Housing Costs
Fayetteville's housing index of 52 is lower Joliet's 85, translating to median home prices of $213,000 vs $275,000. The $62,000 difference in home prices means roughly $4,032 per year in additional mortgage costs at current rates. Renters face a similar gap: $1,075/mo in Fayetteville compared to $1,325/mo in Joliet, a monthly difference of $250.
Grocery & Food Costs
Grocery expenses index at 94 in Fayetteville and 101 in Joliet. A household spending the national average of $475/month on groceries would pay approximately $447/month in Fayetteville vs $480/month in Joliet. Fayetteville offers a meaningful advantage on everyday food costs, saving roughly $396/year.
Utility Expenses
Utility costs — electricity, gas, water, internet — index at 98 in Fayetteville and 94 in Joliet. Monthly utility bills average approximately $392 in Fayetteville vs $376 in Joliet. Utility costs are relatively comparable between these two cities.
Healthcare
Healthcare costs index at 106 in Fayetteville and 102 in Joliet. This encompasses insurance premiums, doctor visit copays, dental care, and prescription costs. Healthcare costs are relatively similar between these two cities, though individual plan costs can still vary.
Income & Purchasing Power
Median household income is $49,800 in Fayetteville and $88,000 in Joliet. After adjusting for local costs, purchasing-power-equivalent incomes are approximately $61,481 and $92,632 respectively. Joliet residents come out ahead in real purchasing power.
Relocation Considerations
Under the standard 28% rule, a median-income household can allocate $1,162/month to housing in Fayetteville vs $2,053/month in Joliet. In Fayetteville, median rent of $1,075/mo fits within this budget. In Joliet, median rent of $1,325/mo remains manageable. The biggest category-level difference between these two cities is Housing, where the gap is 33 index points — focus your budget analysis there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Moving & Relocation Resources
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