Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alhambra, CA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,139 a month against $3,538 in Alhambra, CA, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

171

Cost of Living Index in Alhambra, CA
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Alhambra, CA Living Index
152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index

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Alhambra, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,538

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alhambra, CA and in Chicago, IL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Alhambra, CA and in Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,538 in Alhambra, CA versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL.

Alhambra, CA $3,538
Chicago, IL $3,139

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,726 in Alhambra, CA versus $4,627 in Chicago, IL.

Alhambra, CA $4,726
Chicago, IL $4,627

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,913 in Alhambra, CA versus $6,115 in Chicago, IL.

Alhambra, CA $5,913
Chicago, IL $6,115

Living in Alhambra, CA is roughly 13% more expensive than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alhambra, CA 161% above, Chicago, IL 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.02 $25.02

$20.65 $20.65

21.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 $78.7

$90.2 $90.2

-12.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.02 $15.02

$12.94 $12.94

16.07%

Cappuccino

$5.86 $5.86

$5.60 $5.60

4.64%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.64 $2.64

15.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.27 $2.27

5.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.16 $7.16

$6.98 $6.98

2.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.81 $9.81

$8.83 $8.83

11.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.27 $1.27

10.24%

White Bread (500g)

$5.26 $5.26

$3.80 $3.80

38.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$5.30 $5.30

-12.45%

Eggs

$6.01 $6.01

$4.76 $4.76

26.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.61 $11.61

$13.96 $13.96

-16.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.59 $8.59

$14.61 $14.61

-41.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.37 $19.37

$18.77 $18.77

3.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$5.19 $5.19

-10.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.98 $1.98

15.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$3.93 $3.93

1.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$4.96 $4.96

8.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$2.76 $2.76

18.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.76 $2.76

14.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.22 $2.22

-12.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.98 $2.98

-5.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.86 $11.86

$14.02 $14.02

-15.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.93 $14.93

$15.28 $15.28

-2.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.58 $2.58

-5.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$3.50 $3.50

-22.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.47 $2.47

-30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$74.8 $74.8

46.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.34 $3.34

-11.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.43 $1.43

26.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.75 $31.75

$24.32 $24.32

30.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.26 $1.26

17.46%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.8K $34.8K

$35.0K $35.0K

-0.48%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.1K $26.1K

0.04%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$287 $287

$193 $193

48.73%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$77.9 $77.9

$68.3 $68.3

14.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.2 $74.2

$61.3 $61.3

21.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.90 $19.90

$54.1 $54.1

-63.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.76 $15.76

$27.92 $27.92

-43.55%

Cinema Ticket

$19.71 $19.71

$17.74 $17.74

11.10%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,174 $1,174

$1,652 $1,652

-28.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$31.1K $31.1K

2.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 $63.2

$66.1 $66.1

-4.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.29 $47.29

$51.2 $51.2

-7.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$100 $100

4.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$141 $141

-25.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,263 $2,263

$2,446 $2,446

-7.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,945 $1,945

$1,678 $1,678

15.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,947 $2,947

$4,717 $4,717

-37.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,507 $2,507

$2,795 $2,795

-10.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,015 $7,015

$4,105 $4,105

70.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,888 $5,888

$2,650 $2,650

122.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,895 $4,895

$4,866 $4,866

0.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

6.81

-7.34%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Alhambra, CA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Alhambra, CA

$1.9K 55%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 13.7% $267

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alhambra, CA

$439 12.4%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 26.5% $116

Groceries & Markets

Alhambra, CA

$430 12.2%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 4.5% $19

Eating Out

Alhambra, CA

$393 11.1%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 12.6% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Alhambra, CA

$144 4.1%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 12.3% $18

Getting Around

Alhambra, CA

$128 3.6%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 26% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Alhambra, CA

$59 1.7%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 51% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,263 in Alhambra, CA and $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alhambra, CA pays 1% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $79.0 in Alhambra, CA vs $90.0 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $430 vs $449 per month, with Alhambra, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Alhambra, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

12:57 12:57 PM

14:57 2:57 PM

2 h ahead of Alhambra, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

83,089

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Alhambra, CA Chicago, IL 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Alhambra, CA
Chicago, IL

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Alhambra, CA vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alhambra, CA and Chicago, IL differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($3,538 vs $3,139 including rent). Chicago, IL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1% higher in Alhambra, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,263 in Alhambra, CA versus $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Alhambra, CA pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Chicago, IL – a meal for two runs $90.0 versus $79.0 in Alhambra, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Chicago, IL is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Alhambra, CA and Chicago, IL are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chicago, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Alhambra, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.