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 | Salinas | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,795/mo | 26.8% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $573,600 | 46.9% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $84,250 | 14.9% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 107.5 | 9.6% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 130.7 | 29.3% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 111.7 | 11.7% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 113.5 | 14.2% 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 $125,746 in Salinas to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 20.5% cheaper overall than Salinas, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 27% lower in Chicago than in Salinas. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $100,597 in Salinas to keep the same standard of living.