Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,139 a month against $3,707 in Burbank, CA, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

178

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

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

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Burbank, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,707

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,707 per month in Burbank, CA vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Burbank, CA $3,707
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,570 per month in Burbank, CA vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Burbank, CA $3,570
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $3,432 per month in Burbank, CA vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Burbank, CA $3,432
Chicago, IL $6,115

Burbank, CA costs about 18% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Burbank, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Burbank, CA by 174%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.79 $24.79

$20.65 $20.65

20.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.9 $76.9

$90.2 $90.2

-14.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.71 $14.71

$12.94 $12.94

13.68%

Cappuccino

$5.83 $5.83

$5.60 $5.60

4.11%

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

$3.64 $3.64

$2.64 $2.64

37.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.27 $2.27

18.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 $7.90

$6.98 $6.98

13.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.19 $10.19

$8.83 $8.83

15.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.27 $1.27

2.36%

White Bread (500g)

$5.04 $5.04

$3.80 $3.80

32.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$5.30 $5.30

-14.53%

Eggs

$5.58 $5.58

$4.76 $4.76

17.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.21 $15.21

$13.96 $13.96

8.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.29 $16.29

$14.61 $14.61

11.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.86 $19.86

$18.77 $18.77

5.81%

Apples (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$5.19 $5.19

-1.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.98 $1.98

17.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$3.93 $3.93

2.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$4.96 $4.96

11.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$2.76 $2.76

22.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.76 $2.76

6.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.22 $2.22

-1.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.98 $2.98

-9.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.69 $11.69

$14.02 $14.02

-16.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$15.28 $15.28

-3.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.58 $2.58

-6.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.50 $3.50

-24.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.47 $2.47

-28.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.34 $3.34

-8.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.43 $1.43

26.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.64 $31.64

$24.32 $24.32

30.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.26 $1.26

19.84%

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

$29.4K $29.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-16.14%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

0.05%

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

$219 $219

$193 $193

13.89%

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

$76.6 $76.6

$68.3 $68.3

12.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.1 $74.1

$61.3 $61.3

20.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$130 $130

$54.1 $54.1

139.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$19.68 $19.68

$17.74 $17.74

10.94%

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

$1,645 $1,645

$1,652 $1,652

-0.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.4K $32.4K

$31.1K $31.1K

4.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 $63.0

$66.1 $66.1

-4.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.11 $47.11

$51.2 $51.2

-8.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$100 $100

3.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$141 $141

-25.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,192 $3,192

$2,446 $2,446

30.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,130 $2,130

$1,678 $1,678

26.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,419 $5,419

$4,866 $4,866

11.37%

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 Burbank, 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

Burbank, CA

$2.1K 57.5%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 21.2% $453

Groceries & Markets

Burbank, CA

$478 12.9%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 5.9% $28

Eating Out

Burbank, CA

$398 10.7%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 13.6% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Burbank, CA

$370 10%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 12.9% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Burbank, CA

$169 4.6%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 47% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Burbank, CA

$143 3.9%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 12.7% $18

Getting Around

Burbank, CA

$19 * 0.5%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 397% $76

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,192 in Burbank, CA versus $2,446 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 11% higher in Burbank, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Burbank, CA versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $478 in Burbank, CA vs $449 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Burbank, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

04:37 4:37 AM

06:37 6:37 AM

2 h ahead of Burbank, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

103,340

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

Burbank, CA Chicago, IL 2,800 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Burbank, 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

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

Burbank, CA costs about 18% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,561 per month in Burbank, CA and $4,708 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,707 in Burbank, CA and $3,139 in Chicago, IL. That's a gap of about 18%.

Kindergarten costs $1,645 per month in Burbank, CA and $1,652 in Chicago, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,707 in Burbank, CA and $3,139 in Chicago, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chicago, IL costs $3,139 versus $3,707 in Burbank, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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