Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cathedral City, CA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Cathedral City, CA: $2,626 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Cathedral City, CA
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Cathedral City, CA Living Index
147

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

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Cathedral City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,626

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in Cathedral City, CA versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL.

Cathedral City, CA $2,626
Chicago, IL $3,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,862 in Cathedral City, CA versus $4,518 in Chicago, IL.

Cathedral City, CA $3,862
Chicago, IL $4,518

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,098 in Cathedral City, CA versus $5,999 in Chicago, IL.

Cathedral City, CA $5,098
Chicago, IL $5,999

Living in Cathedral City, CA costs roughly 14% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cathedral City, CA 93% above, Chicago, IL 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.69 $18.69

$20.71 $20.71

-9.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.8 $75.8

$89.2 $89.2

-15.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 $10.90

$13.19 $13.19

-17.36%

Cappuccino

$5.18 $5.18

$5.66 $5.66

-8.48%

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

$2.49 $2.49

$2.64 $2.64

-5.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.28 $2.28

-13.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.04 $6.04

$6.87 $6.87

-12.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 $6.96

$8.84 $8.84

-21.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.25 $1.25

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.72 $3.72

-6.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$5.39 $5.39

-18.00%

Eggs

$4.25 $4.25

$4.74 $4.74

-10.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.16 $12.16

$13.84 $13.84

-12.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.32 $11.32

$14.40 $14.40

-21.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.20 $15.20

$18.38 $18.38

-17.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$5.22 $5.22

-7.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.98 $1.98

-20.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$4.06 $4.06

3.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$4.97 $4.97

-7.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.67 $2.67

4.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.66 $2.66

7.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.24 $2.24

-5.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$3.13 $3.13

-30.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.77 $9.77

$13.82 $13.82

-29.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 $13.90

$14.88 $14.88

-6.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.54 $2.54

-30.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.51 $3.51

-1.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.43 $2.43

-18.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.0 $62.0

$73.5 $73.5

-15.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.18 $3.18

11.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.39 $1.39

14.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.44 $29.44

$25.03 $25.03

17.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.20 $1.20

-25.83%

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

$29.8K $29.8K

$35.0K $35.0K

-14.91%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.7K $26.7K

-2.38%

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

$186 $186

$194 $194

-4.13%

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

$53.2 $53.2

$69.5 $69.5

-23.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.8 $68.8

$61.6 $61.6

11.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.71 $42.71

$47.90 $47.90

-10.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$13.46 $13.46

$17.81 $17.81

-24.42%

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

$1,308 $1,308

$1,794 $1,794

-27.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$31.9K $31.9K

-25.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.3 $50.3

$67.0 $67.0

-25.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.94 $39.94

$52.1 $52.1

-23.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$102 $102

-16.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$144 $144

-21.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 $1,629

$2,526 $2,526

-35.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,347 $1,347

$1,578 $1,578

-14.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,592 $2,592

$4,738 $4,738

-45.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,266 $2,266

$2,693 $2,693

-15.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,761 $2,761

$4,190 $4,190

-34.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,402 $2,402

$2,768 $2,768

-13.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

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 Cathedral City, CA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cathedral City, CA

$1.3K 51.3%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 17.1% $231

Groceries & Markets

Cathedral City, CA

$384 14.6%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 16.6% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cathedral City, CA

$308 11.8%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 5.5% $17

Eating Out

Cathedral City, CA

$306 11.7%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 12.6% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Cathedral City, CA

$130 5%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 26.3% $34

Getting Around

Cathedral City, CA

$81 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 14.7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Cathedral City, CA

$70 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 20% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,629 in Cathedral City, CA and $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $76 in Cathedral City, CA vs $89 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $447 per month, with Cathedral City, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cathedral City, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

07:06 7:06 AM

09:06 9:06 AM

2 h ahead of Cathedral City, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,493

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cathedral City, CA Chicago, IL 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cathedral City, 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

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

Cathedral City, CA and Chicago, IL differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($2,626 vs $3,037 including rent). Cathedral City, CA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,939 in Cathedral City, CA and $4,555 in Chicago, IL to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,629 in Cathedral City, CA versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cathedral City, CA runs roughly 16% less than in Chicago, IL. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,308 in Cathedral City, CA versus $1,794 in Chicago, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,626 in Cathedral City, CA versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Cathedral City, CA but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Cathedral City, 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.

Expats usually find Cathedral City, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.