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 | Los Angeles | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,791/mo | 26.6% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $822,600 | 63.0% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $76,244 | 6.0% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 104.0 | 6.5% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 82.4 | 12.1% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 100.5 | 1.9% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 104.0 | 6.3% 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 $136,302 in Los Angeles to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 26.6% cheaper overall than Los Angeles, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 27% lower in Chicago than in Los Angeles. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $109,042 in Los Angeles to keep the same standard of living.