Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Canoga Park, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Canoga Park, CA: $2,636 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chicago, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Chicago, IL, United States
Canoga Park, CA, United States
Chicago, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$3,072
/mo nomad
Canoga Park, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,636
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL versus $2,636 in Canoga Park, CA.

  • Chicago, IL $3,072
  • Canoga Park, CA $2,636

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,545 in Chicago, IL versus $3,951 in Canoga Park, CA.

  • Chicago, IL $4,545
  • Canoga Park, CA $3,951

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,019 in Chicago, IL versus $5,266 in Canoga Park, CA.

  • Chicago, IL $6,019
  • Canoga Park, CA $5,266

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 17% more expensive than in Canoga Park, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chicago, IL
Canoga Park, CA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.39 $20.39
$24.91 $24.91
-18.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.6 $88.6
$66.3 $66.3
33.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.85 $12.85
$8.08 $8.08
59.03%
Cappuccino
$5.78 $5.78
$6.07 $6.07
-4.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 $2.74
$1.96 $1.96
39.80%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 $2.26
$1.80 $1.80
25.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.88 $6.88
$6.64 $6.64
3.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.24 $9.24
$9.67 $9.67
-4.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chicago, IL
Canoga Park, CA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.26 $1.26
$1.46 $1.46
-13.70%
White Bread (500g)
$3.55 $3.55
$3.92 $3.92
-9.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.38 $5.38
$5.62 $5.62
-4.27%
Eggs
$4.55 $4.55
$5.21 $5.21
-12.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.65 $13.65
$19.69 $19.69
-30.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.07 $14.07
$14.75 $14.75
-4.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.06 $18.06
$22.32 $22.32
-19.09%
Apples (1kg)
$5.16 $5.16
$7.62 $7.62
-32.28%
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 $1.98
$3.37 $3.37
-41.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.88 $3.88
$6.32 $6.32
-38.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.83 $4.83
$9.87 $9.87
-51.06%
Potato (1kg)
$2.81 $2.81
$2.82 $2.82
-0.35%
Onion (1kg)
$2.67 $2.67
$4.91 $4.91
-45.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.07 $2.07
$3.01 $3.01
-31.23%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.03 $3.03
$2.70 $2.70
12.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.90 $13.90
$11.56 $11.56
20.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.05 $15.05
$15.12 $15.12
-0.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.63 $2.63
$2.27 $2.27
15.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.45 $3.45
$3.98 $3.98
-13.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Chicago, IL
Canoga Park, CA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.43 $2.43
$1.83 $1.83
32.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$75.3 $75.3
$58.8 $58.8
28.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.17 $3.17
$2.95 $2.95
7.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.70 $1.70
$1.58 $1.58
7.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.90 $24.90
$24.81 $24.81
0.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 $1.28
$1.54 $1.54
-16.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.8K $35.8K
$27.5K $27.5K
30.01%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K $26.8K
$26.2K $26.2K
2.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chicago, IL
Canoga Park, CA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$192 $192
$81.4 $81.4
135.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$69.6 $69.6
$29.58 $29.58
135.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$62.2 $62.2
$71.5 $71.5
-13.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chicago, IL
Canoga Park, CA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.79 $47.79
$39.24 $39.24
21.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.10 $27.10
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$17.83 $17.83
$10.57 $10.57
68.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chicago, IL
Canoga Park, CA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,815 $1,815
$1,014 $1,014
79.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$40.6K $40.6K
$40.2K $40.2K
1.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chicago, IL
Canoga Park, CA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$66.2 $66.2
$50.8 $50.8
30.28%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.4 $51.4
$34.64 $34.64
48.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 $103
$79.2 $79.2
30.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$143 $143
$148 $148
-3.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chicago, IL
Canoga Park, CA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,531 $2,531
$1,824 $1,824
38.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,621 $1,621
$1,270 $1,270
27.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,828 $4,828
$2,589 $2,589
86.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,734 $2,734
$2,121 $2,121
28.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,163 $4,163
$3,113 $3,113
33.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,723 $2,723
$2,028 $2,028
34.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chicago, IL
Canoga Park, CA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,924 $4,924
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.78
6.63
2.26%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Canoga Park, CA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chicago, IL
$1.6K
Canoga Park, CA
$1.3K 21.7% $352
Groceries & Markets
Chicago, IL
$439
Canoga Park, CA
$542 23.4% $103
Eating Out
Chicago, IL
$344
Canoga Park, CA
$364 5.8% $20
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chicago, IL
$324
Canoga Park, CA
$183 43.6% $141
Clothing & Footwear
Chicago, IL
$164
Canoga Park, CA
$141 14% $23
Getting Around
Chicago, IL
$97
Canoga Park, CA
$77 20.3% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Chicago, IL
$83
Canoga Park, CA
$60 27.6% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,531 in Chicago, IL and $1,824 in Canoga Park, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $66 in Canoga Park, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $439 vs $542, with Chicago, IL cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Chicago, IL
🇺🇸 Canoga Park, CA
🕒 Local time
05:50 5:50 AM
03:50 3:50 AM
2 h behind Chicago, IL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,746,388
60,578
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chicago, IL Canoga Park, CA 2,830 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chicago, IL
  • Canoga Park, 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 Canoga Park, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Canoga Park, CA cheaper than Chicago, IL?
Canoga Park, CA is about 14% cheaper overall, especially in utilities, leisure, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $4,608 in Chicago, IL and $3,954 in Canoga Park, 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.
What is the rent difference between Chicago, IL and Canoga Park, CA?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,824 in Canoga Park, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Canoga Park, CA runs roughly 22% less than in Chicago, IL. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,815 in Chicago, IL versus $1,014 in Canoga Park, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in Chicago, IL or in Canoga Park, CA?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Canoga Park, CA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Is it better to live in Chicago, IL or in Canoga Park, CA?
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.

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