Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Casa Grande, AZ

For one person, living is cheaper in Casa Grande, AZ: $2,568 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Casa Grande, AZ
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Casa Grande, AZ Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Casa Grande, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Casa Grande, AZ

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 Casa Grande, AZ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,568 in Casa Grande, AZ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Casa Grande, AZ $2,568

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,757 in Casa Grande, AZ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Casa Grande, AZ $3,757

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,947 in Casa Grande, AZ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Casa Grande, AZ $4,947

Chicago, IL costs about 22% more than Casa Grande, AZ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Casa Grande, AZ sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Casa Grande, AZ by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$18.70 $18.70

10.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$74.4 $74.4

21.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$10.96 $10.96

18.07%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.05 $5.05

10.89%

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

$2.02 $2.02

12.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$5.85 $5.85

19.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$6.85 $6.85

28.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.99 $0.99

28.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.59 $3.59

5.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.25 $4.25

24.71%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.04 $4.04

17.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$12.13 $12.13

15.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$11.65 $11.65

25.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$15.65 $15.65

19.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.76 $4.76

9.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.55 $1.55

27.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.21 $4.21

-6.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.62 $4.62

7.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.90 $2.90

-4.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.88 $2.88

-4.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.08 $2.08

6.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.18 $2.18

36.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$9.61 $9.61

45.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$13.77 $13.77

10.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.80 $1.80

43.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.43 $3.43

2.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.96 $1.96

26.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.59 $3.59

-6.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.58 $1.58

-9.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$28.67 $28.67

-15.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.90 $0.90

40.00%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$29.2K $29.2K

20.08%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.9K $25.9K

0.79%

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

$193 $193

$191 $191

0.73%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$52.6 $52.6

29.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$68.0 $68.0

-9.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$42.93 $42.93

26.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$13.73 $13.73

29.21%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,307 $1,307

26.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$23.8K $23.8K

30.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$50.1 $50.1

31.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$39.80 $39.80

28.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$87.4 $87.4

14.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$113 $113

24.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,624 $1,624

50.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,345 $1,345

24.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,640 $2,640

78.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,237 $2,237

24.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,784 $2,784

47.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,446 $2,446

8.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.51

4.61%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Casa Grande, AZ: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Casa Grande, AZ

$1.3K 52.4% 19.9% $333

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Casa Grande, AZ

$386 15% 14.1% $63

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Casa Grande, AZ

$304 11.9% 11.4% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Casa Grande, AZ

$312 12.2% 3.2% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Casa Grande, AZ

$131 5.1% 18.9% $30

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Casa Grande, AZ

$19 * 0.8% 79.7% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Casa Grande, AZ

$70 2.7% 21.4% $19

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 $1,624 in Casa Grande, AZ. 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 $74.0 in Casa Grande, AZ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $386 – making Casa Grande, AZ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Casa Grande, AZ

🕒 Local time

04:33 4:33 AM

02:33 2:33 AM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

54,316

💱 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 Casa Grande, AZ 2,340 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Casa Grande, AZ

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 Casa Grande, AZ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,568 in Casa Grande, AZ – roughly 22% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,851 in Casa Grande, AZ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Casa Grande, AZ, 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 $2,568 in Casa Grande, AZ. That's a gap of about 22%.

Kindergarten costs $1,652 per month in Chicago, IL and $1,307 in Casa Grande, AZ. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $2,568 in Casa Grande, AZ. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,568 in Casa Grande, AZ to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Casa Grande, AZ. 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.