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 | Scranton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $933/mo | 40.8% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $125,700 | 142.2% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $48,776 | 46.9% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 100.8 | 3.5% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 86.2 | 104.4 | 17.4% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 97.2 | 2.8% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.6 | 99.8 | ≈ equal |
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 $83,883 in Scranton to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Scranton, PA is about 16.1% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 37% lower in Scranton than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $67,106 in Scranton to keep the same standard of living.