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 | $1,084/mo | 21.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $179,500 | 69.6% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $61,014 | 17.5% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 100.8 | 3.5% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 86.2 | 104.9 | 17.8% 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 $93,068 in Lancaster to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Lancaster, PA is about 6.9% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 17% lower in Lancaster than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $74,454 in Lancaster to keep the same standard of living.