Cost of Living: Oakland, 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 Oakland, CA versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 27.93% of gross in Oakland, CA versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Chicago, IL tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Oakland, CA and Chicago, IL.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Chicago, IL
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Chicago, IL
- Lower home prices: Chicago, IL
- Higher median household income: Oakland, CA
Cost of Living Index
Oakland, CA: 165.2 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)
Chicago, IL has a lower cost-of-living index than Oakland, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Oakland, CA: $1,821/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo
Median rent in Oakland, CA is $498/mo higher than in Chicago, IL.
Median Home Price
Oakland, CA: $924,700 · Chicago, IL: $147,800
Median home price in Oakland, CA is $776,900 higher than in Chicago, IL.
Median Household Income
Oakland, CA: $97,369 · Chicago, IL: $56,815
Oakland, CA has a higher median household income than Chicago, IL by $40,554.
Oakland, CA overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons