Cost of living compare
Chicago vs Los Angeles cost of living
Chicago vs Los Angeles cost of living, compared metric by metric: BEA regional price parity, HUD rent, USDA food, energy, and state and local taxes. Each row keeps its own source grain and vintage — there is no single blended “cost of living score,” because these measures are published at different geographic grains.
68% moreincome is needed for a family of four (2 adults, 2 children) to break even in Los Angeles than in Chicago
Los Angeles needs $162,616/yr vs $96,928/yr in Chicago
CEX 2024 · FMR FY2026 · USDA 2025 · RPP 2024 · TY2025 · NDCP 2022 (CPI-inflated to 2026-M04)
How much does a family of four need in Chicago vs Los Angeles?
A family of four needs about $96,928 a year in Chicago and $162,616 a year in Los Angeles to break even. The stacked bars show where each monthly budget goes; the table below gives the exact split and the difference.
| Component | Chicago | Los Angeles | Chicago − Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $1,930 | $4,540 | −$2,610 |
| Childcare | $1,447 | $2,255 | −$808 |
| Taxes | $1,269 | $3,183 | −$1,914 |
| Food | $1,127 | $1,235 | −$108 |
| Transportation | $1,190 | $1,183 | +$7 |
| Everything else | $1,114 | $1,155 | −$41 |
| Total per month | $8,077 | $13,551 | −$5,474 |
Household Budget Benchmark, family of four (2 adults, 2 children), 3-bedroom. Housing uses HUD Fair Market Rent (ZIP SAFMR where available); other rows are federal series adjusted by state-grain BEA price parities. CEX 2024 · FMR FY2026 · USDA 2025 · RPP 2024 · TY2025 · NDCP 2022 (CPI-inflated to 2026-M04).
Which city has higher prices, Chicago or Los Angeles?
BEA Regional Price Parities put overall prices at 103.6 in Chicago and 113.6 in Los Angeles, where the U.S. average is 100. RPP is a regional index shown at each city’s BEA grain, not a city-precise price tag.
| RPP component | Chicago | Los Angeles | Chicago − Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 103.6 | 113.6 | −10 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 106.6 | +0.7 |
| Rents | 112.0 | 170.4 | −58.4 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 158.6 | −75 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 104.4 | −3.9 |
Chicago: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area · reference year 2024. Los Angeles: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area · reference year 2024.
How much is rent in Chicago vs Los Angeles?
HUD sets the 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent at $1,781 in Chicago and $2,903 in Los Angeles for HUD fiscal year 2026.
| Bedrooms | Chicago | Los Angeles | Chicago − Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-BR FMR | $1,581 | $2,328 | −$747 |
| 2-BR FMR | $1,781 | $2,903 | −$1,122 |
| 3-BR FMR | $2,294 | $3,681 | −$1,387 |
Chicago: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Los Angeles: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. HUD FY2026 40th-percentile gross rents.
Are taxes higher in Chicago or Los Angeles?
Combined state and local sales tax is about 8.89% in Illinois and 8.85% in California. These are state and local figures.
| Measure | Chicago (IL) | Los Angeles (CA) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combined sales tax rate | 8.89% | 8.85% | 0 pts |
| Top state income tax rate | 4.95% | 12.3% | −7.3 pts |
| State & local taxes per capita | $8,199 | $10,349 | −$2,150 |
Sales & income tax rates: state statutes / DOR schedules, TY2025. Per-capita burden: Census Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances, FY2022. State grain.
Are utilities and gas cheaper in Chicago or Los Angeles?
Residential electricity runs about 17.8¢/kWh in Illinois and 33.2¢/kWh in California. Energy prices are state or PADD-region grain, not city-specific.
| Measure | Chicago (IL) | Los Angeles (CA) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential electricity | 17.8¢/kWh | 33.2¢/kWh | −15.4 |
| Residential natural gas | 11.4 $/Mcf | 22.45 $/Mcf | −11.05 |
| Retail gasoline | 4.49 $/gal | 5.75 $/gal | −1.26 |
Electricity & natural gas: EIA state-grain residential prices. Gasoline: EIA PADD 2 (Midwest) vs PADD 5 (West Coast) (PADD-region grain).
What does groceries cost in Chicago vs Los Angeles?
A USDA Low-Cost food plan for a family of four is about $1,088 a month nationally; the plan value is a national figure, while local price differences show up through the RPP-adjusted budget above.
| USDA plan (family of 4, monthly) | Chicago | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Thrifty plan | $996 | $996 |
| Low-cost plan | $1,088 | $1,088 |
| Moderate plan | $1,341 | $1,341 |
USDA Cost of Food Plans, July 2025. National grain — identical for every city; the family budget applies each state’s RPP for local context.
Go deeper on Chicago and Los Angeles
Sources
Every figure above traces to an official federal or state source, shown with its vintage and geographic grain. Cost-of-living measures are not combined into one composite score. See the cost-of-living methodology.