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 | San Luis Obispo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,850/mo | 29.0% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $841,700 | 63.8% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $65,000 | 10.3% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 104.8 | 0.6% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 86.2 | 141.0 | 38.9% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 101.6 | 1.6% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.6 | 101.4 | 1.8% 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 $119,830 in San Luis Obispo to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 16.5% cheaper overall than San Luis Obispo, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 24% lower in Chicago than in San Luis Obispo. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $95,864 in San Luis Obispo to keep the same standard of living.