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 | Palmdale | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,625/mo | 19.1% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $397,500 | 23.4% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $78,414 | 8.6% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 106.0 | 8.2% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 128.1 | 27.9% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 108.4 | 9.0% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 109.1 | 10.7% 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 $118,393 in Palmdale to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 15.5% cheaper overall than Palmdale, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 19% lower in Chicago than in Palmdale. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $94,714 in Palmdale to keep the same standard of living.