City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Allentown | Chicago | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,202/mo | $1,314/mo | 8.5% lower in A |
| Median home value | $168,800 | $304,500 | 44.6% lower in A |
| Median household income | $52,449 | $71,673 | 26.8% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 93.7 | 97.2 | 3.6% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 89.9 | 92.4 | 2.7% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 82.5 | 98.6 | 16.3% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 85.5 | 97.4 | 12.3% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Allentown, you'd need $110,262 in Chicago to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Allentown, PA is about 9.3% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 9% lower in Allentown than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Allentown, you'd need about $88,209 in Chicago to keep the same standard of living.