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 | Santa Ana | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,885/mo | 30.3% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $624,000 | 51.2% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $84,210 | 14.9% 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 $143,453 in Santa Ana to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 30.3% cheaper overall than Santa Ana, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 30% lower in Chicago than in Santa Ana. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $114,762 in Santa Ana to keep the same standard of living.