Cost of Living: Wilkes-Barre, PA vs Chicago, IL
Quick rent-and-take-home comparison
Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,337/mo in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 13.68% of gross in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Wilkes-Barre, PA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Wilkes-Barre, PA and Chicago, IL.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Chicago, IL
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Wilkes-Barre, PA
- Lower home prices: Wilkes-Barre, PA
- Higher median household income: Chicago, IL
Cost of Living Index
Wilkes-Barre, PA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)
Chicago, IL has a lower cost-of-living index than Wilkes-Barre, PA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Wilkes-Barre, PA: $892/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo
Median rent in Chicago, IL is $431/mo higher than in Wilkes-Barre, PA.
Median Home Price
Wilkes-Barre, PA: $108,000 · Chicago, IL: $147,800
Median home price in Chicago, IL is $39,800 higher than in Wilkes-Barre, PA.
Median Household Income
Wilkes-Barre, PA: $47,970 · Chicago, IL: $56,815
Chicago, IL has a higher median household income than Wilkes-Barre, PA by $8,845.
Wilkes-Barre, PA overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons