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 | Whittier | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,725/mo | 23.8% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $707,700 | 57.0% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $89,686 | 20.1% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 106.9 | 9.0% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 129.6 | 28.7% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 110.3 | 10.6% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 111.7 | 12.8% 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 $122,721 in Whittier to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 18.5% cheaper overall than Whittier, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 24% lower in Chicago than in Whittier. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $98,177 in Whittier to keep the same standard of living.