Cost of Living: Vista, 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 Vista, CA versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 31.3% of gross in Vista, CA versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Chicago, IL tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Vista, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Chicago, IL
$4,227/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Vista, CA
31.3%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Chicago, IL
20.28%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Vista, 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: Vista, CA

Cost of Living Index

Vista, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)

Chicago, IL has a lower cost-of-living index than Vista, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Vista, CA: $2,041/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo

Median rent in Vista, CA is $718/mo higher than in Chicago, IL.

Median Home Price

Vista, CA: $674,400 · Chicago, IL: $147,800

Median home price in Vista, CA is $526,600 higher than in Chicago, IL.

Median Household Income

Vista, CA: $91,854 · Chicago, IL: $56,815

Vista, CA has a higher median household income than Chicago, IL by $35,039.

Vista, CA overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons