Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Beaumont, CA: $2,707 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Beaumont, CA
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Beaumont, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Beaumont, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,707

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,707 in Beaumont, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Beaumont, CA $2,707

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,787 in Beaumont, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Beaumont, CA $3,787

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,866 in Beaumont, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Beaumont, CA $4,866

Chicago, IL costs about 16% more than Beaumont, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Beaumont, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Beaumont, CA by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$18.13 $18.13

13.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$76.0 $76.0

18.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$11.34 $11.34

14.11%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.43 $5.43

3.13%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.60 $2.60

1.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.97 $1.97

15.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$6.11 $6.11

14.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$7.07 $7.07

24.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.08 $1.08

17.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.45 $3.45

10.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.02 $4.02

31.84%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.57 $4.57

4.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$13.73 $13.73

1.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$10.32 $10.32

41.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$14.94 $14.94

25.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.26 $5.26

-1.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.83 $1.83

8.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.76 $3.76

4.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.10 $4.10

20.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.52 $2.52

9.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.71 $2.71

1.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.07 $2.07

7.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.07 $2.07

43.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$10.74 $10.74

30.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$13.33 $13.33

14.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.92 $1.92

34.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.56 $3.56

-1.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.93 $1.93

27.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.20 $3.20

4.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.80 $1.80

-20.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$26.45 $26.45

-8.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.64 $1.64

-23.17%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$31.4K $31.4K

11.35%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$27.4K $27.4K

-4.92%

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

$193 $193

$219 $219

-11.95%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$60.4 $60.4

12.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$75.6 $75.6

-18.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$47.72 $47.72

13.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$15.62 $15.62

13.57%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,229 $1,229

34.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$26.2K $26.2K

18.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$55.1 $55.1

19.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$39.16 $39.16

30.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$79.1 $79.1

26.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$116 $116

21.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,375 $1,375

77.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,436 $1,436

16.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,400 $2,400

96.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,089 $2,089

33.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$3,096 $3,096

32.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,118 $2,118

25.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.57

3.65%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Beaumont, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Beaumont, CA

$1.4K 53% 14.4% $242

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Beaumont, CA

$380 14% 15.5% $70

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Beaumont, CA

$307 11.4% 10.6% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Beaumont, CA

$355 13.1% 10.1% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Beaumont, CA

$130 4.8% 19.2% $31

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Beaumont, CA

$20 * 0.7% 79% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Beaumont, CA

$79 2.9% 11.9% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,375 in Beaumont, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $76.0 in Beaumont, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $380 – making Beaumont, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Beaumont, CA

🕒 Local time

16:03 4:03 PM

14:03 2:03 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

115,282

💱 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 Beaumont, CA 2,710 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – Chicago, IL is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,061 in Beaumont, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Beaumont, CA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $2,707 in Beaumont, CA. That's a gap of about 16%.

Kindergarten costs $1,652 per month in Chicago, IL and $1,229 in Beaumont, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Beaumont, CA, where all-in costs run around $2,707, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Beaumont, CA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Beaumont, CA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Beaumont, CA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.