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 | Mesa | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,352/mo | 2.8% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $327,700 | 7.1% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $73,766 | 2.8% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 103.4 | 6.0% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 124.0 | 25.5% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 103.1 | 4.4% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 102.0 | 4.5% 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 $106,592 in Mesa to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 6.2% cheaper overall than Mesa, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 3% lower in Chicago than in Mesa. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $85,273 in Mesa to keep the same standard of living.