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 | Chicago | El Centro | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $938/mo | 40.1% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $266,500 | 14.3% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $54,922 | 30.5% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 104.8 | 0.6% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 86.2 | 147.6 | 41.6% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 101.6 | 1.6% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.6 | 101.4 | 1.8% 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 Chicago, you'd need $89,210 in El Centro to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
El Centro, CA is about 10.8% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 37% lower in El Centro than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $71,368 in El Centro to keep the same standard of living.