At a glance
Los Angeles is 9.6% more expensive than Chicago on BEA’s overall price index, and median rent is $633 a month higher in Los Angeles.
Price parity is 113.6 in Los Angeles and 103.6 in Chicago (U.S. = 100); median gross rent is $2,063 and $1,430 a month.
Price index and rent come from different surveys and describe metro averages; neither predicts a household’s own costs.
Sources: BLS wages (May 2025) · BEA price parity (2024) · Census ACS (2020–2024) · metro areas, not city limits · How we calculate
Cost of living: Los Angeles vs. Chicago
Using 2024 BEA regional price parities, Los Angeles has an all-items metro price level about 9.6% higher than Chicago relative to the same national benchmark. This is a ratio of broad price indexes, not a forecast of what a specific household would spend. Los Angeles has a $633 higher reported monthly metro-wide median gross rent than Chicago. The two measures point in the same direction for these metros, but they cover different baskets and populations.
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| Official metro indicator | Los Angeles | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| BEA 2024 all-items price parity | 113.6 | 103.6 |
| ACS 2020–2024 median gross rent / month | $2,063 | $1,430 |
| ACS gross-rent margin of error | ± $6 | ± $6 |
| ACS median household income (± MOE) | $95,958 ± $378 | $90,887 ± $454 |
| ACS 45+ minute commute share | 20.8% | 23.5% |
These figures cover the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan areas, not the named cities alone. ACS gross rent includes estimated utilities and is not an asking rent; sampling uncertainty means small gaps may not be meaningful.
What a salary in Los Angeles is worth in Chicago
BEA’s 2024 all-items parity is 113.6 for Los Angeles and 103.6 for Chicago, so matching on that index takes about 8.8% less gross pay in Chicago than in Los Angeles. Twelve months of median gross rent is 25.8% of median household income in Los Angeles and 18.9% in Chicago (renter rent over all-household income, so a rough contrast rather than a budget).
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| Gross pay in Los Angeles | Same index value in Chicago | Gross pay in Chicago | Same index value in Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $45,610 | $50,000 | $54,812 |
| $75,000 | $68,415 | $75,000 | $82,219 |
| $100,000 | $91,220 | $100,000 | $109,625 |
| $150,000 | $136,830 | $150,000 | $164,437 |
| $200,000 | $182,440 | $200,000 | $219,250 |
Equal index value is not equal take-home pay: taxes, benefits and housing choices differ.
Median gross rents differ by $633 a month ($7,596 over twelve months). That gap is already part of the price index, so do not subtract it again; use real quotes in the worksheet.
How do salaries differ between Los Angeles and Chicago?
80 of 80 curated occupations have a reported annual median wage in both metros. The 12 examples below are the most common jobs in the smaller metro, not the highest- or lowest-paid.
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| BLS occupation | Los Angeles median | Chicago median | Los Angeles adjusted | Chicago adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $42,390 | $40,550 | $37,326 | $39,143 |
| General and Operations Managers | $125,830 | $109,390 | $110,799 | $105,594 |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $100,490 | $119,367 | $97,003 |
| Retail Salespersons | $37,700 | $35,820 | $33,197 | $34,577 |
| Office Clerks, General | $48,100 | $46,330 | $42,354 | $44,722 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $48,840 | $47,100 | $43,006 | $45,466 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $60,340 | $62,300 | $53,132 | $60,138 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $53,550 | $50,440 | $47,153 | $48,690 |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | $56,520 | $58,020 | $49,768 | $56,007 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $78,390 | $89,692 | $75,670 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $82,360 | $83,088 | $79,502 |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $134,380 | $141,697 | $129,717 |
The price-adjusted wage equals the BLS May 2025 annual occupational median × 100 ÷ the BEA 2024 all-items regional price parity. Census rent, household income and commuting figures are ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates. They describe different populations and do not determine take-home pay, employment prospects or individual rent. ACS gross rent includes contract rent plus estimated utility and fuel costs.
What changes after adjusting wages for regional prices?
Among the 12 displayed, matched BLS occupations, 5 have a different leading metro for nominal versus price-adjusted median wages, and 7 keep the same leader. Adjusted values divide each median by the metro’s BEA parity; they are not tax-adjusted.
Where the price-adjusted gap is largest
Across the 80 occupations with a reported median in both metros, Los Angeles has the higher price-adjusted median in 36 and Chicago in 44. For the typical occupation (the median of the occupation-by-occupation differences), the adjusted median in Los Angeles is 1.6% lower than in Chicago.
The table lists the eight occupations with the largest percentage differences, in either direction. A large gap can reflect a small local employer base, so check the career page before drawing conclusions.
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| BLS occupation | Los Angeles adjusted | Chicago adjusted | Higher in | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $62,616 | $99,792 | Chicago | 59.4% |
| Electricians | $64,993 | $98,798 | Chicago | 52.0% |
| Sales Managers | $116,523 | $153,183 | Chicago | 31.5% |
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors | $45,709 | $59,462 | Chicago | 30.1% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $85,941 | $107,399 | Chicago | 25.0% |
| Registered Nurses | $119,367 | $97,003 | Los Angeles | 23.1% |
| Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | $81,794 | $99,522 | Chicago | 21.7% |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $95,125 | $79,290 | Los Angeles | 20.0% |
Difference is the gap relative to the lower of the two adjusted medians.
Which jobs are more common in Los Angeles or Chicago
Raw employment counts mostly track metro size. To compare, this table divides BLS estimated employment by ACS commuting workers (jobs per 10,000 commuters). Of the 75 occupations with at least 1,000 estimated workers in both metros, these are the most over-represented in each.
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| BLS occupation | Los Angeles per 10,000 | Chicago per 10,000 | More common in | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Web and Digital Interface Designers | 17.9 | 3.9 | Los Angeles | 4.6× |
| Architectural and Civil Drafters | 7.5 | 2.7 | Los Angeles | 2.8× |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | 65.1 | 29.9 | Los Angeles | 2.2× |
| Computer Network Architects | 6.8 | 14.1 | Chicago | 2.1× |
| Machinists | 15.2 | 29.5 | Chicago | 1.9× |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 24.8 | 45.3 | Chicago | 1.8× |
A rough size scaling, not a formal location quotient. Employment estimates are not job openings.
Investigate a specific career before deciding
Open the dashboard with a role and both metros already selected. Amounts you enter stay in your browser.
Moving between Los Angeles and Chicago: what should you check?
The checklist works in either direction. Get written offers and current rent quotes for the neighborhoods you would consider; metro medians are not listings. The full offer checklist covers taxes, benefits and one-time costs.