Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Casa Grande, AZ and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Casa Grande, AZ: $2,568 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Casa Grande, AZ
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Casa Grande, AZ Living Index
152

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

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Casa Grande, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,568

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,568 per month in Casa Grande, AZ vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Casa Grande, AZ $2,568
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,757 per month in Casa Grande, AZ vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Casa Grande, AZ $3,757
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $4,947 per month in Casa Grande, AZ vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Casa Grande, AZ $4,947
Chicago, IL $6,115

Casa Grande, AZ is about 18% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Casa Grande, AZ and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Casa Grande, AZ by 89%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.70 $18.70

$20.65 $20.65

-9.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 $74.4

$90.2 $90.2

-17.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 $10.96

$12.94 $12.94

-15.30%

Cappuccino

$5.05 $5.05

$5.60 $5.60

-9.82%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$2.64 $2.64

-1.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.27 $2.27

-11.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 $5.85

$6.98 $6.98

-16.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.85 $6.85

$8.83 $8.83

-22.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.27 $1.27

-22.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.80 $3.80

-5.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.25 $4.25

$5.30 $5.30

-19.81%

Eggs

$4.04 $4.04

$4.76 $4.76

-15.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.13 $12.13

$13.96 $13.96

-13.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.65 $11.65

$14.61 $14.61

-20.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.65 $15.65

$18.77 $18.77

-16.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$5.19 $5.19

-8.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.98 $1.98

-21.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$3.93 $3.93

7.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$4.96 $4.96

-6.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.76 $2.76

5.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.76 $2.76

4.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.22 $2.22

-6.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.98 $2.98

-26.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.61 $9.61

$14.02 $14.02

-31.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.77 $13.77

$15.28 $15.28

-9.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.58 $2.58

-30.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.50 $3.50

-2.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.47 $2.47

-20.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.34 $3.34

7.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.43 $1.43

10.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.67 $28.67

$24.32 $24.32

17.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.26 $1.26

-28.57%

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

$29.2K $29.2K

$35.0K $35.0K

-16.72%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.1K $26.1K

-0.78%

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

$191 $191

$193 $193

-0.72%

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

$52.6 $52.6

$68.3 $68.3

-22.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.0 $68.0

$61.3 $61.3

10.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.93 $42.93

$54.1 $54.1

-20.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 $13.73

$17.74 $17.74

-22.60%

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

$1,307 $1,307

$1,652 $1,652

-20.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$31.1K $31.1K

-23.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 $50.1

$66.1 $66.1

-24.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.80 $39.80

$51.2 $51.2

-22.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 $87.4

$100 $100

-12.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$141 $141

-19.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,624 $1,624

$2,446 $2,446

-33.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,345 $1,345

$1,678 $1,678

-19.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,640 $2,640

$4,717 $4,717

-44.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,237 $2,237

$2,795 $2,795

-19.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 $2,784

$4,105 $4,105

-32.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,446 $2,446

$2,650 $2,650

-7.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.81

-4.41%

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

Last update for Casa Grande, AZ: 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

Casa Grande, AZ

$1.3K 52.4%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 24.8% $333

Groceries & Markets

Casa Grande, AZ

$386 15%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 16.4% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Casa Grande, AZ

$312 12.2%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 3.3% $10

Eating Out

Casa Grande, AZ

$304 11.9%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 12.8% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Casa Grande, AZ

$131 5.1%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 23.3% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Casa Grande, AZ

$70 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 27.3% $19

Getting Around

Casa Grande, AZ

$19 * 0.8%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 392% $76

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,624 in Casa Grande, AZ 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Casa Grande, AZ versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $386 vs $449 – making Casa Grande, AZ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Casa Grande, AZ

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

01:47 1:47 AM

03:47 3:47 AM

2 h ahead of Casa Grande, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,316

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

Casa Grande, AZ Chicago, IL 2,340 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Casa Grande, AZ
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

Casa Grande, AZ vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,568 in Casa Grande, AZ, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 22% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,851 per month in Casa Grande, AZ 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 Casa Grande, AZ, 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 $2,568 in Casa Grande, AZ and $3,139 in Chicago, IL. That's a gap of about 22%.

Kindergarten costs $1,307 per month in Casa Grande, AZ 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 $2,568 in Casa Grande, AZ and $3,139 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 $2,568 in Casa Grande, AZ to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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