Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aliso Viejo, CA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,139 a month against $3,964 in Aliso Viejo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

194

Cost of Living Index in Aliso Viejo, CA
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Aliso Viejo, CA Living Index
152

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

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Aliso Viejo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,964

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aliso Viejo, 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 Aliso Viejo, CA and in Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,964 in Aliso Viejo, CA versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL.

Aliso Viejo, CA $3,964
Chicago, IL $3,139

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,003 in Aliso Viejo, CA versus $4,627 in Chicago, IL.

Aliso Viejo, CA $6,003
Chicago, IL $4,627

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,043 in Aliso Viejo, CA versus $6,115 in Chicago, IL.

Aliso Viejo, CA $8,043
Chicago, IL $6,115

Living in Aliso Viejo, CA is roughly 26% more expensive than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Aliso Viejo, CA 193% above, Chicago, IL 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.73 $24.73

$20.65 $20.65

19.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.4 $98.4

$90.2 $90.2

9.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.32 $14.32

$12.94 $12.94

10.66%

Cappuccino

$5.91 $5.91

$5.60 $5.60

5.54%

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

$3.51 $3.51

$2.64 $2.64

32.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.27 $2.27

23.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.22 $8.22

$6.98 $6.98

17.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.94 $9.94

$8.83 $8.83

12.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.27 $1.27

-9.45%

White Bread (500g)

$4.77 $4.77

$3.80 $3.80

25.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$5.30 $5.30

-10.94%

Eggs

$5.08 $5.08

$4.76 $4.76

6.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 $11.33

$13.96 $13.96

-18.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.09 $16.09

$14.61 $14.61

10.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.67 $17.67

$18.77 $18.77

-5.86%

Apples (1kg)

$5.50 $5.50

$5.19 $5.19

5.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.98 $1.98

-12.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$3.93 $3.93

19.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.62 $6.62

$4.96 $4.96

33.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$2.76 $2.76

30.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.76 $2.76

1.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.22 $2.22

-0.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.98 $2.98

-18.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.92 $11.92

$14.02 $14.02

-14.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.26 $15.26

$15.28 $15.28

-0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.58 $2.58

-29.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$3.50 $3.50

-11.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.47 $2.47

24.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 $4.47

$3.34 $3.34

33.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.43 $1.43

33.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.04 $32.04

$24.32 $24.32

31.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.26 $1.26

26.19%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

-0.05%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$26.1K $26.1K

3.62%

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

$212 $212

$193 $193

9.93%

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

$71.5 $71.5

$68.3 $68.3

4.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.3 $71.3

$61.3 $61.3

16.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.84 $38.84

$54.1 $54.1

-28.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.19 $17.19

$17.74 $17.74

-3.10%

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

$1,698 $1,698

$1,652 $1,652

2.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.8K $31.8K

$31.1K $31.1K

2.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.5 $72.5

$66.1 $66.1

9.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 $65.1

$51.2 $51.2

27.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$100 $100

15.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 $169

$141 $141

20.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,908 $2,908

$2,446 $2,446

18.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,466 $2,466

$1,678 $1,678

46.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,191 $4,191

$4,717 $4,717

-11.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,644 $4,644

$2,795 $2,795

66.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,007 $7,007

$4,105 $4,105

70.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,500 $6,500

$2,650 $2,650

145.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,985 $7,985

$4,866 $4,866

64.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.81

0.73%

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

Last update for Aliso Viejo, CA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aliso Viejo, CA

$2.5K 62.2%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 32% $788

Groceries & Markets

Aliso Viejo, CA

$456 11.5%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 1.4% $6.4

Eating Out

Aliso Viejo, CA

$398 10%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 13.7% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aliso Viejo, CA

$355 8.9%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 9.1% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Aliso Viejo, CA

$190 4.8%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 15.3% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Aliso Viejo, CA

$73 1.9%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 22.4% $16

Getting Around

Aliso Viejo, CA

$26 * 0.7%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 261% $69

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,908 in Aliso Viejo, CA and $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aliso Viejo, CA pays 64% 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: $98.0 in Aliso Viejo, CA vs $90.0 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $456 vs $449 per month, with Chicago, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Aliso Viejo, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

23:01 11:01 PM

01:01 1:01 AM

2 h ahead of Aliso Viejo, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,489

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Aliso Viejo, 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

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

Aliso Viejo, CA and Chicago, IL differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($3,964 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 64% higher in Aliso Viejo, 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: $2,908 in Aliso Viejo, CA versus $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Aliso Viejo, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,964 per month in Aliso Viejo, CA versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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, Aliso Viejo, 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 26% less than in Aliso Viejo, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.