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 Rosa | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $2,024/mo | 35.1% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $661,700 | 54.0% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $92,604 | 22.6% 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 $154,029 in Santa Rosa to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 35.1% cheaper overall than Santa Rosa, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 35% lower in Chicago than in Santa Rosa. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $123,223 in Santa Rosa to keep the same standard of living.