Compare My CityChicago, IL is approximately 3% cheaper than Riverside, CA, using Riverside, CA as the comparison base.
Based on overall price levels from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis. 100 equals the national average. Figures represent the wider Riverside, CA and Chicago, IL metropolitan areas, not city limits.
⇄ Swap / reverse this comparisonWhere the difference lies
The headline gap is 3%, but housing is where it really shows. Housing rents in Chicago, IL run 13% lower than in Riverside, CA (112.0 vs 129.3), while everyday goods and services sit closer together. For most people, housing rents move the most when relocating between these two metros, so weigh that gap more heavily than the overall figure.
Category comparison
| Category | Riverside, CA | Chicago, IL | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 106.4 | 103.6 | -3% |
| Goods | 101.4 | 107.3 | +6% |
| Housing rents | 129.3 | 112.0 | -13% |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 83.6 | -44% |
| Other services | 101.3 | 100.5 | -1% |
Chicago, IL differs from Riverside, CA the most in utilities — about 44% lower in Chicago, IL — while the closest is other services.
Estimated salary equivalent in Chicago, IL
| $50,000 in Riverside, CA | $48,684 |
| $75,000 in Riverside, CA | $73,026 |
| $100,000 in Riverside, CA | $97,368 |
| $150,000 in Riverside, CA | $146,053 |
| $200,000 in Riverside, CA | $194,737 |
Each row shows the estimated salary equivalent in Chicago, IL, based on regional price levels, for the amount earned in Riverside, CA.
Before tax. This estimate does not account for individual spending habits, household size, taxes, childcare, healthcare, transport choices or personal housing circumstances.