Cost of Living: Santa Cruz, 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 Santa Cruz, CA versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 33.55% of gross in Santa Cruz, 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 Santa Cruz, 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: Santa Cruz, CA
Cost of Living Index
Santa Cruz, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)
Chicago, IL has a lower cost-of-living index than Santa Cruz, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Santa Cruz, CA: $2,187/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo
Median rent in Santa Cruz, CA is $864/mo higher than in Chicago, IL.
Median Home Price
Santa Cruz, CA: $1,180,100 · Chicago, IL: $147,800
Median home price in Santa Cruz, CA is $1,032,300 higher than in Chicago, IL.
Median Household Income
Santa Cruz, CA: $111,427 · Chicago, IL: $56,815
Santa Cruz, CA has a higher median household income than Chicago, IL by $54,612.
Santa Cruz, CA overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons