Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Agoura Hills, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Agoura Hills, CA: $2,795 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chicago, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
135

Cost of Living Index in Agoura Hills, CA
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Agoura Hills, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Agoura Hills, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,795

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Agoura Hills, CA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chicago, IL and in Agoura Hills, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $2,795 in Agoura Hills, CA.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Agoura Hills, CA $2,795

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $4,174 in Agoura Hills, CA.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Agoura Hills, CA $4,174

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $5,552 in Agoura Hills, CA.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Agoura Hills, CA $5,552

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 9% more expensive than in Agoura Hills, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Agoura Hills, CA 105% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$25.43 $25.43

-18.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$101 $101

-11.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.70 $11.70

12.74%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.55 $5.55

1.98%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.68 $2.68

-1.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.01 $2.01

13.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.85 $7.85

-12.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$9.42 $9.42

-6.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.20 $1.20

4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$5.85 $5.85

-36.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.37 $4.37

23.34%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.03 $5.03

-5.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$12.48 $12.48

10.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$20.90 $20.90

-31.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$14.04 $14.04

30.91%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.62 $5.62

-7.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.79 $1.79

10.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.25 $4.25

-4.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$6.35 $6.35

-21.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.53 $3.53

-24.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.45 $3.45

-22.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.29 $2.29

-2.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.21 $2.21

41.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.69 $11.69

18.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.71 $14.71

1.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.70 $1.70

49.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.12 $3.12

12.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.03 $2.03

19.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$58.9 $58.9

24.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$4.41 $4.41

-27.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.88 $1.88

-26.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$36.51 $36.51

-31.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.56 $1.56

-23.08%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.2K $28.2K

24.12%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.9K $25.9K

2.90%

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

$194 $194

$211 $211

-8.06%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$71.7 $71.7

-3.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$70.4 $70.4

-12.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$39.25 $39.25

22.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$12.22 $12.22

45.74%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,892 $1,892

-5.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$42.3K $42.3K

-24.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$74.5 $74.5

-9.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$41.04 $41.04

27.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$78.6 $78.6

29.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$172 $172

-16.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,577 $1,577

60.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,273 $1,273

23.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,589 $2,589

83.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,086 $2,086

29.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,861 $2,861

46.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,346 $2,346

17.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,589 $4,589

7.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.64

2.56%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Agoura Hills, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Agoura Hills, CA

$1.3K 45.6% 19.3% $305

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Agoura Hills, CA

$477 17.1% 6.6% $30

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Agoura Hills, CA

$382 13.7% 10.8% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Agoura Hills, CA

$353 12.7% 8.6% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Agoura Hills, CA

$165 5.9% 0.4% $0.6

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Agoura Hills, CA

$81 2.9% 13.4% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Agoura Hills, CA

$64 2.3% 23.7% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $1,577 in Agoura Hills, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 7% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $101 in Agoura Hills, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $477 per month, with Chicago, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Agoura Hills, CA

🕒 Local time

17:19 5:19 PM

15:19 3:19 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

22,666

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Agoura Hills, CA 2,840 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Agoura Hills, CA

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

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

Agoura Hills, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Agoura Hills, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 7% higher in Chicago, IL, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,577 in Agoura Hills, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,794 in Chicago, IL versus $1,892 in Agoura Hills, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Chicago, IL pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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

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.

It comes down to priorities – Agoura Hills, CA wins on affordability, Chicago, IL on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.