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 Monte | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,605/mo | 18.1% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $597,200 | 49.0% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $59,929 | 19.6% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 105.8 | 8.1% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 127.8 | 27.7% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 108.0 | 8.7% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 108.6 | 10.3% 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 Chicago, you'd need $117,532 in El Monte to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 14.9% cheaper overall than El Monte, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 18% lower in Chicago than in El Monte. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $94,025 in El Monte to keep the same standard of living.