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 | Harrisburg | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $944/mo | 39.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $112,100 | 171.6% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $46,654 | 53.6% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 100.8 | 3.5% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 86.2 | 105.5 | 18.2% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 97.2 | 2.8% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.6 | 99.8 | ≈ equal |
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 $92,468 in Harrisburg to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Harrisburg, PA is about 7.5% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 18% lower in Harrisburg than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $73,975 in Harrisburg to keep the same standard of living.