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 Tan Valley | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,729/mo | 24.0% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $304,000 | 0.2% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $88,466 | 19.0% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 106.9 | 9.1% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 129.7 | 28.8% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 110.4 | 10.7% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 111.8 | 12.9% 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 $122,901 in San Tan Valley to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 18.6% cheaper overall than San Tan Valley, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 24% lower in Chicago than in San Tan Valley. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $98,321 in San Tan Valley to keep the same standard of living.