Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Aliso Viejo, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,072 a month against $4,002 in Aliso Viejo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
192

Cost of Living Index in Aliso Viejo, CA
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Aliso Viejo, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Aliso Viejo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,002

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL versus $4,002 in Aliso Viejo, CA.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Aliso Viejo, CA $4,002

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,545 in Chicago, IL versus $5,996 in Aliso Viejo, CA.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Aliso Viejo, CA $5,996

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,019 in Chicago, IL versus $7,990 in Aliso Viejo, CA.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Aliso Viejo, CA $7,990

Living in Chicago, IL costs roughly 23% less than in Aliso Viejo, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 127% above, Aliso Viejo, CA 196% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$24.74 $24.74

-17.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$101 $101

-12.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$14.10 $14.10

-8.87%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.98 $5.98

-3.34%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$3.59 $3.59

-23.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.75 $2.75

-17.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$8.58 $8.58

-19.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$10.07 $10.07

-8.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.14 $1.14

10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$4.85 $4.85

-26.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$4.74 $4.74

13.50%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$4.98 $4.98

-8.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$10.89 $10.89

25.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$16.01 $16.01

-12.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$17.85 $17.85

1.18%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$5.57 $5.57

-7.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.71 $1.71

15.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.99 $4.99

-22.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$6.68 $6.68

-27.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.57 $3.57

-21.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.79 $2.79

-4.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.27 $2.27

-8.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.54 $2.54

19.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$11.99 $11.99

15.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.82 $14.82

1.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.81 $1.81

45.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.79 $2.79

23.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.93 $2.93

-17.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$4.41 $4.41

-28.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.20 $2.20

-22.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$36.69 $36.69

-32.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.64 $1.64

-21.95%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$34.5K $34.5K

3.64%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

0.18%

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

$192 $192

$213 $213

-9.65%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$70.4 $70.4

-1.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$72.5 $72.5

-14.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$38.99 $38.99

22.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$17.76 $17.76

0.39%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,741 $1,741

4.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$35.9K $35.9K

13.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$74.0 $74.0

-10.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$68.4 $68.4

-24.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$116 $116

-11.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$158 $158

-9.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$2,812 $2,812

-9.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$2,501 $2,501

-35.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$4,099 $4,099

17.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$4,574 $4,574

-40.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$7,239 $7,239

-42.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$6,433 $6,433

-57.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$7,833 $7,833

-37.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.91

-1.88%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Aliso Viejo, CA: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Aliso Viejo, CA

$2.5K 62.5% 54.2% $879

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Aliso Viejo, CA

$457 11.4% 4% $17

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Aliso Viejo, CA

$400 10% 16.4% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Aliso Viejo, CA

$355 8.9% 9.8% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Aliso Viejo, CA

$187 4.7% 14.5% $24

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Aliso Viejo, CA

$27 * 0.7% 71.9% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Aliso Viejo, CA

$75 1.9% 10.7% $8.9

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 $2,531 in Chicago, IL and $2,812 in Aliso Viejo, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aliso Viejo, CA pays 59% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $101 in Aliso Viejo, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $439 vs $457 per month, with Chicago, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Aliso Viejo, CA

🕒 Local time

17:13 5:13 PM

15:13 3:13 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

41,489

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $4,002 in Aliso Viejo, CA, so Chicago, IL is about 23% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 37% lower in Chicago, IL. 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: $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $2,812 in Aliso Viejo, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Aliso Viejo, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL versus $4,002 in Aliso Viejo, CA – Chicago, IL is about 23% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.

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