Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chester, CA: $2,629 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

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

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

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Chester, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,629

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,629 in Chester, CA versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL.

Chester, CA $2,629
Chicago, IL $3,139

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,789 in Chester, CA versus $4,627 in Chicago, IL.

Chester, CA $3,789
Chicago, IL $4,627

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,949 in Chester, CA versus $6,115 in Chicago, IL.

Chester, CA $4,949
Chicago, IL $6,115

Living in Chester, CA costs roughly 16% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chester, CA 94% above, Chicago, IL 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.13 $15.13

$20.65 $20.65

-26.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.1 $56.1

$90.2 $90.2

-37.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.61 $12.61

$12.94 $12.94

-2.55%

Cappuccino

$5.06 $5.06

$5.60 $5.60

-9.64%

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

$1.94 $1.94

$2.64 $2.64

-26.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.27 $2.27

-35.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.99 $4.99

$6.98 $6.98

-28.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.45 $6.45

$8.83 $8.83

-26.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.27 $1.27

-3.15%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.80 $3.80

10.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$5.30 $5.30

-12.83%

Eggs

$5.67 $5.67

$4.76 $4.76

19.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.96 $14.96

$13.96 $13.96

7.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.97 $14.97

$14.61 $14.61

2.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.94 $17.94

$18.77 $18.77

-4.42%

Apples (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$5.19 $5.19

-2.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.98 $1.98

-2.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$3.93 $3.93

9.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.74 $5.74

$4.96 $4.96

15.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$2.76 $2.76

39.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.76 $2.76

21.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.22 $2.22

12.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.98 $2.98

-9.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.06 $9.06

$14.02 $14.02

-35.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.92 $13.92

$15.28 $15.28

-8.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 $3.52

$3.50 $3.50

0.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.47 $2.47

-7.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 $4.11

$3.34 $3.34

23.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.43 $1.43

34.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.76 $24.76

$24.32 $24.32

1.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.26 $1.26

11.90%

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

$35.2K $35.2K

$35.0K $35.0K

0.65%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$26.1K $26.1K

4.40%

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

$227 $227

$193 $193

17.92%

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

$60.6 $60.6

$68.3 $68.3

-11.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.3 $69.3

$61.3 $61.3

13.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.63 $35.63

$54.1 $54.1

-34.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.07 $17.07

$17.74 $17.74

-3.78%

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

$1,537 $1,537

$1,652 $1,652

-6.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.0K $19.0K

$31.1K $31.1K

-38.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 $61.7

$66.1 $66.1

-6.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.31 $46.31

$51.2 $51.2

-9.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.4 $94.4

$100 $100

-5.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 $126

$141 $141

-10.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 $1,604

$2,446 $2,446

-34.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 $1,300

$1,678 $1,678

-22.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,499 $2,499

$4,717 $4,717

-47.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,130 $2,130

$2,795 $2,795

-23.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,448 $2,448

$4,105 $4,105

-40.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,699 $2,699

$2,650 $2,650

1.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

6.81

-4.55%

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

Last update for Chester, 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

Chester, CA

$1.3K 49.5%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 29% $378

Groceries & Markets

Chester, CA

$460 17.5%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 2.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chester, CA

$357 13.6%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 9.8% $35

Eating Out

Chester, CA

$271 10.3%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 26.7% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Chester, CA

$148 5.6%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 9% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Chester, CA

$70 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 28.4% $20

Getting Around

Chester, CA

$23 * 0.9%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 315% $72

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Chester, CA and $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $56.0 in Chester, CA vs $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries flip the comparison at $460 vs $449, with Chicago, IL cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chester, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

06:56 6:56 AM

08:56 8:56 AM

2 h ahead of Chester, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,801

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

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

From you

Chester, 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

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

Chester, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chester, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,944 in Chester, CA and $4,708 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: $1,604 in Chester, CA versus $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Chicago, IL pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,629 per month in Chester, CA versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Chester, CA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chester, CA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,629 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chester, CA hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Chester, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.