2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Melrose Park, IL vs DeKalb, IL

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in DeKalb or is it cheaper to live in Melrose Park?
- DeKalb is 16.5% less expensive than Melrose Park.

Which city has more affordable housing, DeKalb or Melrose Park?
- DeKalb housing costs are 31.1% less expensive than Melrose Park housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Melrose Park or is Health Care more affordable in DeKalb.
- Health related expenses are 41.4% more in DeKalb.
 Melrose Park, ILDeKalb, ILUnited States
 Overall  Unlock88.3100
 Food & Groceries96.0  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock124.4100
 Housing85.3  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$206,000$338,100
 Utilities96  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock77.2100
 Miscellaneous140.3  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for Melrose Park    2 Reviews

Over 16 years ago

toooo  More

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Melrose Park is relatively cheaper that living in Chicago. However, the public schools are not very  More

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Reviews for Dekalb    2 Reviews

Over 17 years ago

While I love the cheaper rents then in the closer suburbs (to Chicago), the lack of high paying jobs for anyone without high degrees (Masters or higher) is  More

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As a 37 year resident of DeKalb - an escapee of the Chicago suburbs, I am pleased to write a bit about my hometown. Originally a college town in a farming community,  More

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