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 | Mountain View | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $2,855/mo | 54.0% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $1,833,300 | 83.4% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $174,156 | 58.8% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 104.1 | 6.6% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 125.1 | 26.2% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 104.6 | 5.7% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 104.1 | 6.5% 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 $217,273 in Mountain View to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 54% cheaper overall than Mountain View, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 54% lower in Chicago than in Mountain View. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $173,818 in Mountain View to keep the same standard of living.