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Compare Cost of Living

Select two U.S. metro areas to compare their Regional Price Parity (RPP) indices for goods, services, and housing, plus salary equivalents.

Chicago vs Los Angeles

Los Angeles is 9.6% more expensive than Chicago. Based on BEA Regional Price Parities, national average = 100.

Metro A
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
103.6
Overall RPP
107.3
Goods
83.6
Services
112.0
Rents
Metro B
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
113.6
Overall RPP
106.6
Goods
158.6
Services
170.4
Rents

Category Breakdown

Category Chicago Los Angeles Diff (B−A)
Overall Cost 103.6 113.6 +10.0
Goods 107.3 106.6 -0.6
Services 83.6 158.6 +75.0
Rents/Housing 112.0 170.4 +58.4

Visual Comparison

Overall Cost Higher than Chicago
Chicago
103.6
Los Angeles
113.6
Goods About the same as Chicago
Chicago
107.3
Los Angeles
106.6
Services Higher than Chicago
Chicago
83.6
Los Angeles
158.6
Rents/Housing Higher than Chicago
Chicago
112.0
Los Angeles
170.4

Vertical marker = national average (100)

Salary Equivalents

What you would need to earn in Los Angeles to match your purchasing power in Chicago:

Salary in Chicago Equivalent in Los Angeles Difference
$50,000 $54,812 +$4,812
$75,000 $82,219 +$7,219
$100,000 $109,625 +$9,625
$150,000 $164,437 +$14,437

Use the salary calculator for custom amounts and reverse direction.

Metro Context

Metric Chicago Los Angeles
Population 9,359,555 13,012,469
Median Household Income $88,850 $93,525
Data Year 2024 2024
State IL CA

Key Differences

Overall Cost: Los Angeles is 10.0 points pricier than Chicago (103.6 vs 113.6).

Goods: Chicago is 0.6 points cheaper than Los Angeles (107.3 vs 106.6).

Services: Los Angeles is 75.0 points pricier than Chicago (83.6 vs 158.6).

Rents/Housing: Los Angeles is 58.4 points pricier than Chicago (112.0 vs 170.4).

⇆ Reverse comparison Chicago details → Los Angeles details →

Also Compare Chicago With

vs New York-Newark-Jersey City vs Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington vs Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria vs Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington vs Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Los Angeles more expensive than Chicago? ▼
Los Angeles is 9.6% more expensive than Chicago. The overall cost index is 113.6 vs 103.6 (national average = 100).
What salary in Los Angeles is equivalent to $100K in Chicago? ▼
A $100,000 salary in Chicago has the same purchasing power as $109,625 in Los Angeles, based on BEA Regional Price Parity data.
How do housing costs compare between Chicago and Los Angeles? ▼
Housing/rents in Chicago are indexed at 112.0 while Los Angeles is at 170.4 (national average = 100). Los Angeles has higher housing costs.
Which is larger - Chicago or Los Angeles? ▼
Los Angeles is larger by population. Chicago has 9,359,555 residents vs 13,012,469 in Los Angeles.

Explore More Data

Salary Calculator → Cost Rankings → All Metros → Rent Data → Salary Data → Relocation Guide →

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by Metropolitan Statistical Area Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by Metropolitan Statistical Area Index where U.S. average = 100