Cost of Living: El Centro, CA vs Chicago, IL
Quick rent-and-take-home comparison
Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in El Centro, CA versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 14.45% of gross in El Centro, CA versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so El Centro, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between El Centro, CA and Chicago, IL.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Chicago, IL
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): El Centro, CA
- Lower home prices: Chicago, IL
- Higher median household income: Chicago, IL
Cost of Living Index
El Centro, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)
Chicago, IL has a lower cost-of-living index than El Centro, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
El Centro, CA: $943/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo
Median rent in Chicago, IL is $380/mo higher than in El Centro, CA.
Median Home Price
El Centro, CA: $291,100 · Chicago, IL: $147,800
Median home price in El Centro, CA is $143,300 higher than in Chicago, IL.
Median Household Income
El Centro, CA: $56,093 · Chicago, IL: $56,815
Chicago, IL has a higher median household income than El Centro, CA by $722.
El Centro, CA overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons