Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,139 a month against $3,716 in Brea, CA, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brea, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
180

Cost of Living Index in Brea, CA
Learn more

Brea, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Brea, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,716

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL versus $3,716 in Brea, CA.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Brea, CA $3,716

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Chicago, IL versus $5,124 in Brea, CA.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Brea, CA $5,124

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,115 in Chicago, IL versus $6,532 in Brea, CA.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Brea, CA $6,532

Living in Chicago, IL costs roughly 16% less than in Brea, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 132% above, Brea, CA 174% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$25.18 $25.18

-17.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$78.5 $78.5

14.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$12.18 $12.18

6.24%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.59 $5.59

0.18%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.69 $2.69

-1.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.98 $1.98

14.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$7.34 $7.34

-4.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$9.46 $9.46

-6.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.18 $1.18

7.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$5.29 $5.29

-28.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.41 $4.41

20.18%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.86 $4.86

-2.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$15.38 $15.38

-9.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$8.87 $8.87

64.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$13.91 $13.91

34.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.66 $4.66

11.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.80 $1.80

10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.30 $4.30

-8.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$5.77 $5.77

-14.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.61 $3.61

-23.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.07 $3.07

-10.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.14 $2.14

3.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.18 $2.18

36.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$11.95 $11.95

17.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$15.14 $15.14

0.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.77 $1.77

45.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.21 $3.21

9.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$4.58 $4.58

-27.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.81 $1.81

-20.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$36.28 $36.28

-32.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.57 $1.57

-19.75%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.8K $27.8K

26.00%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.0K $26.0K

0.20%

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

$193 $193

$218 $218

-11.53%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$70.8 $70.8

-3.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$69.1 $69.1

-11.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$30.08 $30.08

79.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

$20.02 $20.02

39.46%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$19.98 $19.98

-11.21%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,162 $1,162

42.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$42.8K $42.8K

-27.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$62.2 $62.2

6.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$41.12 $41.12

24.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$80.9 $80.9

23.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$104 $104

35.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$2,241 $2,241

9.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$2,354 $2,354

-28.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$3,133 $3,133

50.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$3,521 $3,521

-20.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$5,884 $5,884

-30.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$6,172 $6,172

-57.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$9,939 $9,939

-51.05%

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 Brea, 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%

Brea, CA

$2.4K 63.4% 40.3% $676

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Brea, CA

$411 11.1% 8.4% $38

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Brea, CA

$379 10.2% 10.5% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Brea, CA

$358 9.6% 11% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Brea, CA

$130 3.5% 19.5% $31

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Brea, CA

$14 * 0.4% 85.7% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Brea, CA

$70 1.9% 21.8% $20

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 $2,446 in Chicago, IL and $2,241 in Brea, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brea, CA pays 104% 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 Brea, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $449 vs $411 per month, with Brea, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Brea, CA

🕒 Local time

14:45 2:45 PM

12:45 12:45 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

38,585

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Brea, CA 2,780 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Chicago, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Brea, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chicago, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 104% lower in Brea, 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 $2,241 in Brea, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,652 in Chicago, IL versus $1,162 in Brea, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chicago, IL – a meal for two runs $90.0 versus $79.0 in Brea, 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 work as nomad bases, but Chicago, IL delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,139 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chicago, IL hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chicago, IL and Brea, 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 18% less than in Brea, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.