Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,522 in Beverly Hills, CA, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

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

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

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Beverly Hills, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,522

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $3,522 in Beverly Hills, CA.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Beverly Hills, CA $3,522

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $6,219 in Beverly Hills, CA.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Beverly Hills, CA $6,219

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $8,915 in Beverly Hills, CA.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Beverly Hills, CA $8,915

Living in Chicago, IL costs roughly 14% less than in Beverly Hills, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Beverly Hills, CA 159% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$26.98 $26.98

-23.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$119 $119

-24.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$14.75 $14.75

-10.58%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$6.10 $6.10

-7.21%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.64 $3.64

-27.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.77 $2.77

-17.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.81 $7.81

-12.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$9.94 $9.94

-11.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.03 $1.03

21.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.86 $4.86

-23.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.67 $4.67

15.42%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.30 $5.30

-10.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$11.29 $11.29

22.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$16.18 $16.18

-11.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$19.28 $19.28

-4.67%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.26 $5.26

-0.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.25 $2.25

-12.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.70 $4.70

-13.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.63 $5.63

-11.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.25 $3.25

-17.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.85 $2.85

-6.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.01 $2.01

11.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.48 $2.48

26.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.63 $11.63

18.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.72 $14.72

1.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.06 $3.06

-16.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.79 $2.79

25.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.05 $3.05

4.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.83 $1.83

-24.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$32.32 $32.32

-22.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.51 $1.51

-20.53%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$35.2K $35.2K

-0.41%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$27.2K $27.2K

-1.84%

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

$194 $194

$125 $125

55.82%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$77.6 $77.6

-10.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$77.1 $77.1

-20.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$15.28 $15.28

16.56%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,742 $1,742

3.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$32.6K $32.6K

-1.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$73.6 $73.6

-8.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$49.08 $49.08

6.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$96.9 $96.9

4.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$212 $212

-32.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,654 $2,654

-4.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$2,126 $2,126

-25.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$6,348 $6,348

-25.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$5,541 $5,541

-51.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.86

-0.73%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Beverly Hills, CA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Beverly Hills, CA

$2.1K 60.4% 34.7% $548

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Beverly Hills, CA

$462 13.1% 3.2% $14

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Beverly Hills, CA

$418 11.9% 21.1% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Beverly Hills, CA

$279 7.9% 14.1% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Beverly Hills, CA

$194 5.5% 18.5% $30

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Beverly Hills, CA

$12 * 0.4% 86.9% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Beverly Hills, CA

$31 * 0.9% 63.4% $53

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 $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $2,654 in Beverly Hills, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $119 in Beverly Hills, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $462 per month, with Chicago, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Beverly Hills, CA

🕒 Local time

01:06 1:06 AM

23:06 11:06 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

34,979

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Beverly Hills, CA 2,820 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Chicago, IL is about 14% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $4,555 in Chicago, IL and $5,283 in Beverly Hills, CA to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $2,654 in Beverly Hills, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Beverly Hills, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL versus $3,522 in Beverly Hills, CA – Chicago, IL is about 14% 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.