Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Antioch, CA: $2,638 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 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
128

Cost of Living Index in Antioch, CA
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Antioch, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Antioch, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL versus $2,638 in Antioch, CA.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Antioch, CA $2,638

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,545 in Chicago, IL versus $3,935 in Antioch, CA.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Antioch, CA $3,935

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,019 in Chicago, IL versus $5,231 in Antioch, CA.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Antioch, CA $5,231

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 16% more expensive than in Antioch, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 127% above, Antioch, CA 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$21.10 $21.10

-3.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$90.3 $90.3

-1.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$12.47 $12.47

3.05%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.13 $5.13

12.67%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.95 $2.95

-7.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$3.15 $3.15

-28.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$8.18 $8.18

-15.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$7.82 $7.82

18.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$4.02 $4.02

-11.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$4.60 $4.60

16.96%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$5.63 $5.63

-19.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$15.45 $15.45

-11.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$15.08 $15.08

-6.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$18.23 $18.23

-0.93%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$5.05 $5.05

2.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.97 $1.97

0.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$3.33 $3.33

16.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$5.76 $5.76

-16.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.75 $1.75

60.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.31 $3.31

-19.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.50 $2.50

-17.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.95 $1.95

55.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$7.90 $7.90

75.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$13.90 $13.90

8.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.61 $2.61

0.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.99 $1.99

73.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.20 $2.20

10.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$57.1 $57.1

31.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$4.06 $4.06

-21.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.92 $1.92

-11.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$25.43 $25.43

-2.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.46 $1.46

-12.33%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$28.3K $28.3K

26.65%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

3.14%

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

$192 $192

$229 $229

-15.99%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$59.5 $59.5

17.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$68.2 $68.2

-8.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$37.58 $37.58

27.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$12.93 $12.93

37.90%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,464 $1,464

23.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$5,027 $5,027

707.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$24.82 $24.82

166.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$21.66 $21.66

137.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$94.6 $94.6

9.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$79.3 $79.3

79.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,553 $1,553

62.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,252 $1,252

29.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$2,594 $2,594

86.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,139 $2,139

27.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$2,418 $2,418

72.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$2,246 $2,246

21.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$4,506 $4,506

9.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

5.5

23.27%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Antioch, CA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Antioch, CA

$1.3K 47.5% 22.8% $369

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Antioch, CA

$439 16.7% 0% $0.1

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Antioch, CA

$349 13.2% 1.4% $4.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Antioch, CA

$356 13.5% 10% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Antioch, CA

$99 3.8% 39.4% $64

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Antioch, CA

$80 3% 17.6% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Antioch, CA

$63 2.4% 24% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,531 in Chicago, IL and $1,553 in Antioch, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 9% 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 $90 in Antioch, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $439 vs $439 per month, with Chicago, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Antioch, CA

🕒 Local time

02:07 2:07 AM

00:07 12:07 AM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

111,502

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Antioch, CA 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Antioch, CA is about 14% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 9% 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: $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,553 in Antioch, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Antioch, CA runs roughly 24% less than in Chicago, IL. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $1,815 in Chicago, IL versus $1,464 in Antioch, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Antioch, 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 – Antioch, 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.