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 | Lancaster | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,576/mo | 16.6% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $368,800 | 17.4% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $71,367 | 0.4% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 105.5 | 7.8% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 127.3 | 27.5% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 107.4 | 8.2% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 107.8 | 9.7% 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 $116,279 in Lancaster to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 14% cheaper overall than Lancaster, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 17% lower in Chicago than in Lancaster. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $93,023 in Lancaster to keep the same standard of living.