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 | Bakersfield | Chicago | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,283/mo | $1,314/mo | 2.4% lower in A |
| Median home value | $320,600 | $304,500 | 5.3% higher in A |
| Median household income | $73,827 | $71,673 | 3.0% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.1 | 97.2 | 7.0% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 125.1 | 92.4 | 35.4% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 104.6 | 98.6 | 6.1% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 97.4 | 6.9% higher 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 Bakersfield, you'd need $102,421 in Chicago to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Bakersfield, CA is about 2.4% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 2% lower in Bakersfield than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Bakersfield, you'd need about $81,937 in Chicago to keep the same standard of living.