Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Apple Valley, CA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Apple Valley, CA: $1,246 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $21,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Apple Valley, CA
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Apple Valley, CA Living Index
147

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

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Apple Valley, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,246

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,246 in Apple Valley, CA versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL.

Apple Valley, CA $1,246
Chicago, IL $3,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,911 in Apple Valley, CA versus $4,518 in Chicago, IL.

Apple Valley, CA $1,911
Chicago, IL $4,518

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,576 in Apple Valley, CA versus $5,999 in Chicago, IL.

Apple Valley, CA $2,576
Chicago, IL $5,999

Living in Apple Valley, CA costs roughly 59% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Apple Valley, CA is 8% below, Chicago, IL is 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.70 $19.70

$20.71 $20.71

-4.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.93 $47.93

$89.2 $89.2

-46.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 $9.84

$13.19 $13.19

-25.40%

Cappuccino

$4.91 $4.91

$5.66 $5.66

-13.25%

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

$2.52 $2.52

$2.64 $2.64

-4.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.28 $2.28

-30.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.13 $5.13

$6.87 $6.87

-25.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 $5.81

$8.84 $8.84

-34.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.25 $1.25

-28.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.79 $3.79

$3.72 $3.72

1.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$5.39 $5.39

-45.83%

Eggs

$2.02 $2.02

$4.74 $4.74

-57.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.13 $14.13

$13.84 $13.84

2.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.58 $13.58

$14.40 $14.40

-5.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$18.38 $18.38

-31.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$5.22 $5.22

-7.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.98 $1.98

10.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.06 $4.06

11.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$4.97 $4.97

1.81%

Potato (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$2.67 $2.67

65.92%

Onion (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$2.66 $2.66

56.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.24 $2.24

-3.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.13 $3.13

-29.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.93 $10.93

$13.82 $13.82

-20.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.36 $13.36

$14.88 $14.88

-10.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.54 $2.54

-35.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.51 $3.51

-24.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.18 $3.18

5.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.39 $1.39

32.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.64 $23.64

$25.03 $25.03

-5.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.20 $1.20

13.33%

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

$30.6K $30.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

-12.67%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.7K $26.7K

-2.20%

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

$245 $245

$194 $194

26.05%

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

$82.5 $82.5

$69.5 $69.5

18.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.3 $65.3

$61.6 $61.6

5.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$11.85 $11.85

$17.81 $17.81

-33.46%

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

$545 $545

$1,794 $1,794

-69.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,433 $8,433

$31.9K $31.9K

-73.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.36 $31.36

$67.0 $67.0

-53.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.11 $35.11

$52.1 $52.1

-32.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 $71.5

$102 $102

-29.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 $139

$144 $144

-3.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,200 $5,200

$4,931 $4,931

5.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

6.81

-66.96%

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

Last update for Apple Valley, CA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Apple Valley, CA

$393 31.5%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 17.1% $67

Groceries & Markets

Apple Valley, CA

$392 31.5%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 14% $55

Eating Out

Apple Valley, CA

$300 24.1%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 15.1% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Apple Valley, CA

$125 10%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 31.7% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Apple Valley, CA

$24 * 1.9%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 253% $60

Getting Around

Apple Valley, CA

$13 * 1%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 644% $81

Accommodation & Living

Apple Valley, CA

- * 0%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

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

Cost Breakdown

Apple Valley, CA pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48 in Apple Valley, CA vs $89 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $447 per month, with Apple Valley, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Apple Valley, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

13:34 1:34 PM

15:34 3:34 PM

2 h ahead of Apple Valley, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,109

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Apple Valley, CA Chicago, IL 2,700 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Apple Valley, 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

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

Apple Valley, CA is about 59% cheaper overall, especially in transport, leisure, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Apple Valley, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $545 in Apple Valley, CA versus $1,794 in Chicago, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Apple Valley, CA – a meal for two runs $48 versus $89 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,246 in Apple Valley, CA versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Apple Valley, CA but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Apple Valley, CA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.