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Los Angeles vs Chicago: cost of living, pay and jobs compared
Chicago is the cheaper place to live: overall prices run 10% lower than in Los Angeles, and housing runs 52% lower. Los Angeles pays more in dollars (a typical official wage of $56,000 against $54,500), and after local prices are counted the typical paycheck goes further in Chicago ($53,000 against $49,000 in average-US dollars).
The short answer
- Prices: Los Angeles runs 10% higher than Chicago overall, and housing runs 52% higher.
- To keep the buying power of $100,000 in Chicago, you need about $109,500 in Los Angeles. To keep $100,000 from Los Angeles, you need about $91,000 in Chicago.
- Official median wage for all jobs: $56,000 in Los Angeles, $54,500 in Chicago.
- Median pay listed in open postings: $157,500 in Los Angeles, $132,000 in Chicago.
- Open postings in our data: 10,784 in Los Angeles from 844 employers, 5,914 in Chicago from 845 employers.
- Unemployment: 4.8% in Los Angeles, 5.2% in Chicago (BLS).
Los Angeles and Chicago side by side
| Measure | Los Angeles | Chicago | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (US = 100) | 113.6 | 103.6 | Chicago |
| Housing price level | 170.4 | 112 | Chicago |
| Official median wage, all jobs | $56,000 | $54,500 | Los Angeles |
| Paycheck power (wage adjusted for prices) | $49,000 | $53,000 | Chicago |
| Median pay in open postings | $157,500 | $132,000 | Los Angeles |
| Postings that list pay | 62.4% | 46.2% | Los Angeles |
| Open postings in our data | 10,784 | 5,914 | – |
| Employers hiring in our data | 844 | 845 | – |
| Unemployment rate (BLS) | 4.8% | 5.2% | Los Angeles |
| Postings open more than 60 days | 41.1% | 30.3% | Chicago |
| Median days a posting has been open | 44 | 30 | Chicago |
| Entry-level share of postings | 9.4% | 11.1% | – |
| Remote share of postings | 3.9% | 8.2% | – |
| Indeed postings index vs Feb 2020 | -15.6% | -13.6% | Chicago |
"Edge" shows which area looks better on that measure (lower prices, higher pay, lower unemployment, fewer stale postings); counts and shares have no edge. Within 2% counts as about the same.
Cost of living
Los Angeles prices sit 113.6 against a US average of 100 and Chicago at 103.6. The biggest difference is housing: 170.4 in Los Angeles against 112 in Chicago. Utilities are 90% higher in Los Angeles. The index covers goods and services including rent and home costs, so it measures what a typical household spends, not what your own budget looks like.
| Price level (US = 100) | Los Angeles | Chicago | Los Angeles vs Chicago |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 113.6 | 103.6 | 10% higher |
| Housing | 170.4 | 112 | 52% higher |
| Goods | 106.6 | 107.3 | 1% lower |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 83.6 | 90% higher |
| Other services | 104.4 | 100.5 | 4% higher |
What a salary is worth in each place
Each row keeps your purchasing power the same. The left half moves a salary from Chicago to Los Angeles; the right half moves it the other way. "If only housing moved" uses the housing price level alone, for someone whose biggest cost is rent or a mortgage.
| Salary in Chicago | Matching salary in Los Angeles | If only housing moved | Salary in Los Angeles | Matching salary in Chicago | If only housing moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $55,000 | $76,000 | $50,000 | $45,500 | $33,000 |
| $75,000 | $82,000 | $114,000 | $75,000 | $68,500 | $49,500 |
| $100,000 | $109,500 | $152,000 | $100,000 | $91,000 | $65,500 |
| $125,000 | $137,000 | $190,000 | $125,000 | $114,000 | $82,000 |
| $150,000 | $164,500 | $228,000 | $150,000 | $137,000 | $98,500 |
| $200,000 | $219,000 | $304,500 | $200,000 | $182,500 | $131,500 |
As hourly pay (2,080 hours a year): $100,000 a year is about $48.10 an hour; the matching figure is about $52.70 an hour in Los Angeles for someone earning $100,000 in Chicago.
Pay for the same job
Across the 57 occupations that the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures in both areas, the median wage is higher in Los Angeles for 47 and higher in Chicago for 10. After local prices are counted, Los Angeles comes out ahead in 23 and Chicago in 34. The widest gap among the 15 largest occupations is registered nurses: $135,600 in Los Angeles against $100,500 in Chicago.
| Occupation (15 largest) | Los Angeles median | Chicago median | Los Angeles adjusted for prices | Chicago adjusted for prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $34,300 | $38,200 | $30,200 | $36,900 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $42,400 | $40,600 | $37,300 | $39,100 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $42,100 | $34,600 | $37,100 | $33,400 |
| Retail Salespersons | $37,700 | $35,800 | $33,200 | $34,600 |
| General and Operations Managers | $125,800 | $109,400 | $110,800 | $105,600 |
| Registered Nurses | $135,600 | $100,500 | $119,400 | $97,000 |
| Cashiers | $37,000 | $35,000 | $32,600 | $33,800 |
| Office Clerks, General | $48,100 | $46,300 | $42,400 | $44,700 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $38,700 | $38,500 | $34,000 | $37,100 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $38,700 | $38,500 | $34,100 | $37,100 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $48,800 | $47,100 | $43,000 | $45,500 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $35,900 | $31,200 | $31,600 | $30,100 |
| Security Guards | $40,000 | $40,000 | $35,200 | $38,600 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $60,300 | $62,300 | $53,100 | $60,100 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,400 | $82,400 | $83,100 | $79,500 |
Median annual wage for everyone in the occupation, all employers, May 2025 (BLS). "Adjusted" divides the wage by the area's price level (BEA, US = 100), so dollars are comparable.
Pay employers are offering right now
The wages above are what people earn in jobs they already hold. Open postings show what employers are offering today. In the job families where both areas have at least 15 postings that list pay, the median listed salary is higher in Los Angeles for 10 of 12 and higher in Chicago for 2. Posted pay tends to run above the all-worker median because it leans toward hiring for experienced roles at larger employers.
| Job family | Los Angeles median listed pay | Postings | Chicago median listed pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | $109,000 | 327 | $123,500 | 346 |
| Engineering (other) | $160,000 | 559 | $114,000 | 38 |
| Software developers | $193,000 | 482 | $192,000 | 84 |
| Operations and logistics | $146,000 | 313 | $107,500 | 113 |
| Marketing | $160,000 | 145 | $132,500 | 105 |
| Software engineering | $185,000 | 166 | $183,000 | 52 |
| Legal and compliance | $165,500 | 138 | $175,000 | 75 |
| Finance and accounting | $150,000 | 147 | $137,500 | 62 |
| Product and design | $154,000 | 140 | $147,500 | 66 |
| Security and IT | $170,000 | 160 | $153,000 | 33 |
| People and recruiting | $127,500 | 92 | $121,500 | 28 |
| Data and analytics | $151,500 | 52 | $140,500 | 44 |
Only postings that list a salary are counted. Median of the middle of each listed range. Job families need at least 15 such postings in both areas to appear.
Who is hiring
Los Angeles's postings lean toward manufacturing & industrial (27.5%), while Chicago's lean toward healthcare & life sciences (17.5%). The mix matters because pay and hiring conditions differ a lot by industry.
- Largest posters in Los Angeles: Anduril Industries (1,554), SpaceX (750), Relativity (297), Rocketlab (267), K2spacecorporation (207).
- Largest posters in Chicago: Ntrs (203), Blueskytelepsych (141), DoorDash USA (99), Meijer (89), Arco (78).
Counts are open postings on each employer's own career page in our data; one big employer can shape a local market.
The job market
- Postings have been open a median of 44 days in Los Angeles and 30 in Chicago; 41.1% and 30.3% have been open more than 60 days.
- Entry-level roles are 9.4% of postings in Los Angeles and 11.1% in Chicago; senior and above are 48.7% and 41.6%.
- Fully remote roles are 3.9% of postings in Los Angeles and 8.2% in Chicago.
- Indeed's postings index sits 15.6% below its February 2020 level in Los Angeles and 13.6% below in Chicago.
- 62.4% of postings in Los Angeles list pay, against 46.2% in Chicago.
Which is better for you?
- If you can keep your current salary and move, the place with the lower price level (Chicago) stretches it further: $100,000 in Los Angeles has the buying power of about $91,000 in Chicago.
- If you will be paid the local going rate, Chicago comes out ahead after prices on the typical wage ($53,000 against $49,000).
- Software developers: median listed pay is $193,000 in Los Angeles and $192,000 in Chicago, which is $170,000 and $185,500 in average-US dollars.
- If housing is your biggest cost, the gap there (170.4 vs 112) matters more than the overall index.
No place is better for everyone. Taxes, commute, schools, climate and your own spending are not in these numbers.
Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Los Angeles or Chicago?
Chicago is cheaper. Overall prices run 10% lower than in Los Angeles, and housing runs 52% lower (BEA regional price parities, 2024, where the US average is 100).
How much do I need to earn in Los Angeles to match $100,000 in Chicago?
About $109,500 a year, using the ratio of overall price levels (113.6 in Los Angeles, 103.6 in Chicago). Prices only; taxes are not included.
Which city pays more, Los Angeles or Chicago?
Los Angeles has the higher typical wage across all jobs: $56,000 against $54,500 (BLS, May 2025). After local prices, Chicago has the higher paycheck power: $53,000 against $49,000 in average-US dollars.
Which has more job openings?
In the postings we read from employers' own career pages, Los Angeles has more: 10,784 against 5,914. This is a sample of employer postings, not a census of every job.
Where do these numbers come from?
Prices come from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, wages and unemployment from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and postings from employers' own career pages, collected October 2026. Every figure on this page is in a table or chart above.
More on these places
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: all the data
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: all the data
- Compare them in the interactive tool
- Cost-of-living ranking · Paycheck power ranking
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Updated October 2026. Prices only: taxes and personal spending are not included. Price levels: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities, 2024. Wages and unemployment: Bureau of Labor Statistics (wages May 2025). Postings: employers' own career pages, October 2026. Methodology