I live about an hour outside of one Chicago. I could get a job in the city and make probably $20K more than I do now, but I live 10 miles from my office. To live 10 miles from downtown Chicago would mean paying at least double if not triple for a house the same size as I have now. Gas costs more in the city, property taxes are higher, food prices are higher, and my current 15 minute drive to go 10 miles would probably turn into 30-40 minutes. Working in any downtown area also usually means paying to park your car every day.