Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,139 a month against $3,538 in Alhambra, CA, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
171

Cost of Living Index in Alhambra, CA
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Alhambra, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Alhambra, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,538

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL versus $3,538 in Alhambra, CA.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Alhambra, CA $3,538

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Chicago, IL versus $4,726 in Alhambra, CA.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Alhambra, CA $4,726

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,115 in Chicago, IL versus $5,913 in Alhambra, CA.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Alhambra, CA $5,913

Living in Chicago, IL costs roughly 11% less than in Alhambra, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 132% above, Alhambra, CA 161% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$25.02 $25.02

-17.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$78.7 $78.7

14.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$15.02 $15.02

-13.85%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.86 $5.86

-4.44%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.06 $3.06

-13.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.40 $2.40

-5.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$7.16 $7.16

-2.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$9.81 $9.81

-9.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.40 $1.40

-9.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$5.26 $5.26

-27.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.64 $4.64

14.22%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$6.01 $6.01

-20.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$11.61 $11.61

20.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$8.59 $8.59

70.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$19.37 $19.37

-3.10%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.65 $4.65

11.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.28 $2.28

-13.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.98 $3.98

-1.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$5.36 $5.36

-7.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.28 $3.28

-15.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.17 $3.17

-12.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.94 $1.94

14.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.81 $2.81

6.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$11.86 $11.86

18.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$14.93 $14.93

2.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.44 $2.44

5.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.72 $2.72

28.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.71 $1.71

44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

$110 $110

-31.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.94 $2.94

13.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.81 $1.81

-20.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$31.75 $31.75

-23.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.48 $1.48

-14.86%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$34.8K $34.8K

0.48%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

-0.04%

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

$193 $193

$287 $287

-32.76%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$77.9 $77.9

-12.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$74.2 $74.2

-17.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$19.90 $19.90

171.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

$15.76 $15.76

77.16%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$19.71 $19.71

-9.99%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,174 $1,174

40.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$31.9K $31.9K

-2.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$63.2 $63.2

4.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$47.29 $47.29

8.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$104 $104

-4.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$104 $104

35.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$2,263 $2,263

8.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,945 $1,945

-13.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,947 $2,947

60.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,507 $2,507

11.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$7,015 $7,015

-41.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$5,888 $5,888

-55.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$4,895 $4,895

-0.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.31

7.92%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Alhambra, CA: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Alhambra, CA

$1.9K 55% 15.9% $267

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Alhambra, CA

$430 12.2% 4.3% $19

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Alhambra, CA

$393 11.1% 14.4% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Alhambra, CA

$439 12.4% 36.1% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Alhambra, CA

$144 4.1% 10.9% $18

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Alhambra, CA

$128 3.6% 35.1% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Alhambra, CA

$59 1.7% 33.8% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,446 in Chicago, IL and $2,263 in Alhambra, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alhambra, CA pays 1% 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: $90.0 in Chicago, IL vs $79.0 in Alhambra, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $449 vs $430 per month, with Alhambra, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Alhambra, CA

🕒 Local time

16:03 4:03 PM

14:03 2:03 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

83,089

💱 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

Chicago, IL Alhambra, CA 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Chicago, IL and Alhambra, CA differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($3,139 vs $3,538 including rent). Chicago, IL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Alhambra, CA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $2,263 in Alhambra, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Alhambra, CA pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Chicago, IL – a meal for two runs $90.0 versus $79.0 in Alhambra, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Chicago, IL 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.

Safety-wise, Chicago, IL and Alhambra, CA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chicago, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Alhambra, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.