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 Maria | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,768/mo | 25.7% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $438,100 | 30.5% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $81,237 | 11.8% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 107.3 | 9.4% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 130.3 | 29.1% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 111.2 | 11.3% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 112.8 | 13.7% 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 $124,584 in Santa Maria to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 19.7% cheaper overall than Santa Maria, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 26% lower in Chicago than in Santa Maria. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $99,667 in Santa Maria to keep the same standard of living.