Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Castro Valley, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,139 a month against $3,363 in Castro Valley, CA, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Castro Valley, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
162

Cost of Living Index in Castro Valley, CA
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Castro Valley, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Castro Valley, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,363

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL versus $3,363 in Castro Valley, CA.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Castro Valley, CA $3,363

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Chicago, IL versus $4,211 in Castro Valley, CA.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Castro Valley, CA $4,211

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,115 in Chicago, IL versus $5,060 in Castro Valley, CA.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Castro Valley, CA $5,060

Living in Chicago, IL costs roughly 7% less than in Castro Valley, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 132% above, Castro Valley, CA 148% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$21.70 $21.70

-4.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$79.9 $79.9

12.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$12.06 $12.06

7.30%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.62 $5.62

-0.36%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.00 $3.00

-12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.80 $2.80

-18.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$6.12 $6.12

14.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$7.31 $7.31

20.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.46 $1.46

-13.01%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.43 $4.43

-14.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$5.77 $5.77

-8.15%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$6.29 $6.29

-24.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$15.15 $15.15

-7.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$13.05 $13.05

11.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$22.13 $22.13

-15.18%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.58 $5.58

-6.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.62 $2.62

-24.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.51 $4.51

-12.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.61 $4.61

7.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.57 $3.57

-22.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$4.68 $4.68

-41.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.46 $2.46

-9.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.02 $1.02

192.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$11.56 $11.56

21.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$17.41 $17.41

-12.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.68 $1.68

53.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.81 $2.81

24.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$3.19 $3.19

-22.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.47 $3.47

-3.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.89 $1.89

-24.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$40.52 $40.52

-39.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.54 $1.54

-18.18%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.8K $27.8K

26.07%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.3K $26.3K

-0.82%

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

$193 $193

$185 $185

4.13%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$62.9 $62.9

8.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$60.8 $60.8

0.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$40.85 $40.85

32.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$14.95 $14.95

18.66%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$2,500 $2,500

-33.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$35.1K $35.1K

-11.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$40.38 $40.38

63.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$35.54 $35.54

44.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$76.4 $76.4

31.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$50.9 $50.9

176.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$2,260 $2,260

8.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$2,061 $2,061

-18.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,469 $2,469

91.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,112 $2,112

32.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,712 $2,712

51.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,368 $2,368

11.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$5,708 $5,708

-14.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.62

2.87%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Castro Valley, CA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Castro Valley, CA

$2.1K 61.3% 22.8% $383

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Castro Valley, CA

$460 13.7% 2.4% $11

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Castro Valley, CA

$346 10.3% 0.6% $2.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Castro Valley, CA

$309 9.2% 4.2% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Castro Valley, CA

$91 2.7% 43.3% $70

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Castro Valley, CA

$26 * 0.8% 73% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Castro Valley, CA

$71 2.1% 21% $19

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 $2,260 in Castro Valley, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Castro Valley, CA pays 17% 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 $80.0 in Castro Valley, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $449 vs $460, with Chicago, IL cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Castro Valley, CA

🕒 Local time

02:37 2:37 AM

00:37 12:37 AM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

61,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Castro Valley, CA 2,960 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Chicago, IL and Castro Valley, CA differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($3,139 vs $3,363 including rent). Chicago, IL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Castro Valley, 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 $2,260 in Castro Valley, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Castro Valley, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL versus $3,363 in Castro Valley, CA – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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.

Safety-wise, Chicago, IL and Castro Valley, 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 7% less than in Castro Valley, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.