Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Auburn, CA and in Chicago, IL: $3,212 and $3,185 a month, rent and utilities included.

156

Cost of Living Index in Auburn, CA
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Auburn, CA Living Index
153

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

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Auburn, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,212

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,212 per month in Auburn, CA vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Auburn, CA $3,212
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $4,620 per month in Auburn, CA vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Auburn, CA $4,620
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $6,027 per month in Auburn, CA vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Auburn, CA $6,027
Chicago, IL $6,077

Auburn, CA costs about 1% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Auburn, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Auburn, CA by 138%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.25 $25.25

$21.58 $21.58

17.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.7 $90.7

$88.7 $88.7

2.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 $11.92

$13.20 $13.20

-9.70%

Cappuccino

$4.91 $4.91

$5.59 $5.59

-12.16%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$2.63 $2.63

-3.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.26 $2.26

4.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 $4.86

$7.11 $7.11

-31.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 $7.11

$9.23 $9.23

-22.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.28 $1.28

-3.91%

White Bread (500g)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.84 $3.84

17.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.21 $8.21

$5.07 $5.07

61.93%

Eggs

$3.17 $3.17

$4.84 $4.84

-34.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.79 $25.79

$14.17 $14.17

82.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.58 $18.58

$14.61 $14.61

27.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.00 $23.00

$18.76 $18.76

22.60%

Apples (1kg)

$7.72 $7.72

$5.19 $5.19

48.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.00 $2.00

-15.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.51 $8.51

$4.00 $4.00

112.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.78 $6.78

$4.98 $4.98

36.14%

Potato (1kg)

$5.10 $5.10

$2.79 $2.79

82.80%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.65 $2.65

15.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.13 $2.13

-5.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$3.09 $3.09

-26.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.66 $11.66

$16.05 $16.05

-27.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$15.20 $15.20

0.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.62 $2.62

-44.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.46 $3.46

-41.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.40 $3.40

$2.47 $2.47

37.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.2 $88.2

$75.1 $75.1

17.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.21 $3.21

1.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.39 $1.39

74.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.49 $40.49

$25.02 $25.02

61.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.24 $1.24

-1.61%

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

$32.8K $32.8K

$37.2K $37.2K

-11.70%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$25.8K $25.8K

-5.14%

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

$189 $189

$192 $192

-1.74%

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

$49.79 $49.79

$67.8 $67.8

-26.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.7 $66.7

$60.9 $60.9

9.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.4 $64.4

$53.6 $53.6

20.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$15.10 $15.10

$17.80 $17.80

-15.17%

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

$2,686 $2,686

$1,554 $1,554

72.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,939 $5,939

$31.4K $31.4K

-81.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.7 $68.7

$67.9 $67.9

1.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.74 $46.74

$50.8 $50.8

-7.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$101 $101

8.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 $199

$143 $143

38.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,823 $1,823

$2,383 $2,383

-23.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 $1,591

$1,712 $1,712

-7.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,784 $2,784

$4,674 $4,674

-40.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,344 $2,344

$2,738 $2,738

-14.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,277 $3,277

$4,158 $4,158

-21.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,675 $2,675

$2,691 $2,691

-0.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,926 $3,926

$4,894 $4,894

-19.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

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

Last update for Auburn, CA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Auburn, CA

$1.6K 49.5%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 7.6% $121

Groceries & Markets

Auburn, CA

$558 17.4%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 19.1% $106

Eating Out

Auburn, CA

$355 11%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 0.5% $1.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Auburn, CA

$305 9.5%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 5.1% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Auburn, CA

$191 6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 14.4% $28

Getting Around

Auburn, CA

$117 3.7%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 18.9% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Auburn, CA

$95 3%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 5.8% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,823 in Auburn, CA versus $2,383 in Chicago, IL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 25% higher in Chicago, IL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91.0 in Auburn, CA versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $558 vs $451 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Auburn, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

14:29 2:29 PM

16:29 4:29 PM

2 h ahead of Auburn, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

76,143

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

Auburn, CA Chicago, IL 2,830 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Auburn, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,212 in Auburn, CA, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 1% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,818 per month in Auburn, CA and $4,777 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chicago, IL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $2,686 per month in Auburn, CA and $1,554 in Chicago, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Auburn, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,212 in Auburn, CA and $3,185 in Chicago, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,185 in Chicago, IL to $3,212 in Auburn, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Chicago, IL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Auburn, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.