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 | Merced | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,197/mo | 9.8% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $322,600 | 5.6% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $59,233 | 21.0% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 101.9 | 4.6% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 121.6 | 24.0% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 100.1 | 1.5% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 98.0 | 0.6% 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 $99,890 in Merced to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago and Merced have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 9% lower in Merced than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $79,912 in Merced to keep the same standard of living.