Cost of Living: Mesa, AZ vs Chicago, IL

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,370/mo in Mesa, AZ versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 21.53% of gross in Mesa, AZ versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Chicago, IL tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Mesa, AZ
$4,370/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Chicago, IL
$4,227/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Mesa, AZ
21.53%
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 Mesa, AZ 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: Mesa, AZ

Cost of Living Index

Mesa, AZ: 98.8 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Mesa, AZ: $1,404/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo

Median rent in Mesa, AZ is $81/mo higher than in Chicago, IL.

Median Home Price

Mesa, AZ: $364,300 · Chicago, IL: $147,800

Median home price in Mesa, AZ is $216,500 higher than in Chicago, IL.

Median Household Income

Mesa, AZ: $78,779 · Chicago, IL: $56,815

Mesa, AZ has a higher median household income than Chicago, IL by $21,964.

Mesa, AZ overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons