Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Cerritos, CA and in Chicago, IL: $3,092 and $3,139 a month, rent and utilities included.

151

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

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

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Cerritos, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,092

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,092 per month in Cerritos, CA vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Cerritos, CA $3,092
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,252 per month in Cerritos, CA vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Cerritos, CA $3,252
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $3,413 per month in Cerritos, CA vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Cerritos, CA $3,413
Chicago, IL $6,115

Cerritos, CA is about 1% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Cerritos, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Cerritos, CA by 128%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.09 $25.09

$20.65 $20.65

21.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$90.2 $90.2

12.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.89 $15.89

$12.94 $12.94

22.80%

Cappuccino

$5.58 $5.58

$5.60 $5.60

-0.36%

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

$3.20 $3.20

$2.64 $2.64

21.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.27 $2.27

22.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 $7.91

$6.98 $6.98

13.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.82 $9.82

$8.83 $8.83

11.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.27 $1.27

0.79%

White Bread (500g)

$4.92 $4.92

$3.80 $3.80

29.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$5.30 $5.30

-12.45%

Eggs

$5.61 $5.61

$4.76 $4.76

17.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.68 $11.68

$13.96 $13.96

-16.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.73 $8.73

$14.61 $14.61

-40.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.88 $19.88

$18.77 $18.77

5.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$5.19 $5.19

-6.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.98 $1.98

21.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$3.93 $3.93

9.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.72 $5.72

$4.96 $4.96

15.32%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$2.76 $2.76

21.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.76 $2.76

0.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.22 $2.22

-10.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.98 $2.98

-16.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.95 $11.95

$14.02 $14.02

-14.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.84 $14.84

$15.28 $15.28

-2.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.58 $2.58

-5.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$3.50 $3.50

-20.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 $3.11

$3.34 $3.34

-6.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.43 $1.43

25.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.88 $31.88

$24.32 $24.32

31.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.26 $1.26

23.02%

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

$28.5K $28.5K

$35.0K $35.0K

-18.47%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$26.1K $26.1K

3.21%

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

$215 $215

$193 $193

11.34%

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

$76.8 $76.8

$68.3 $68.3

12.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.1 $81.1

$61.3 $61.3

32.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$54.1 $54.1

121.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$19.89 $19.89

$17.74 $17.74

12.12%

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

$1,179 $1,179

$1,652 $1,652

-28.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.1K $32.1K

$31.1K $31.1K

3.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.8 $62.8

$66.1 $66.1

-4.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.61 $47.61

$51.2 $51.2

-7.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 $115

$100 $100

14.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$141 $141

-27.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,989 $1,989

$2,446 $2,446

-18.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 $1,576

$1,678 $1,678

-6.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,540 $3,540

$4,717 $4,717

-24.95%

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)

$4,866 $4,866

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 Cerritos, CA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cerritos, CA

$1.6K 51%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 6.5% $102

Groceries & Markets

Cerritos, CA

$427 13.8%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 5.4% $23

Eating Out

Cerritos, CA

$399 12.9%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 13.8% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cerritos, CA

$372 12%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 13.5% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Cerritos, CA

$160 5.2%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 43.9% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Cerritos, CA

$147 4.8%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 9.4% $14

Getting Around

Cerritos, CA

$12 * 0.4%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 687% $83

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,989 in Cerritos, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Cerritos, CA versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $427 in Cerritos, CA vs $449 in Chicago, IL – so Cerritos, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cerritos, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

14:03 2:03 PM

16:03 4:03 PM

2 h ahead of Cerritos, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

49,041

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

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

From you

Cerritos, CA
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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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,092 in Cerritos, CA, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 2% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,638 per month in Cerritos, 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 Cerritos, CA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Cerritos, CA and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Chicago, IL, 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 $3,092 in Cerritos, CA 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 $3,092 in Cerritos, CA to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Cerritos, CA. 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.