Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Cathedral City, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Cathedral City, CA: $2,626 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 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
127

Cost of Living Index in Cathedral City, CA
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Cathedral City, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Cathedral City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $2,626 in Cathedral City, CA.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Cathedral City, CA $2,626

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $3,862 in Cathedral City, CA.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Cathedral City, CA $3,862

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $5,098 in Cathedral City, CA.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Cathedral City, CA $5,098

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 16% more expensive than in Cathedral City, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Cathedral City, CA 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$18.69 $18.69

10.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$75.8 $75.8

17.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$10.90 $10.90

21.01%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.18 $5.18

9.27%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.49 $2.49

6.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.97 $1.97

15.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.04 $6.04

13.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.96 $6.96

27.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.00 $1.00

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.46 $3.46

7.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.42 $4.42

21.95%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.25 $4.25

11.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$12.16 $12.16

13.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$11.32 $11.32

27.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$15.20 $15.20

20.92%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.82 $4.82

8.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.58 $1.58

25.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.22 $4.22

-3.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.58 $4.58

8.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.80 $2.80

-4.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.86 $2.86

-6.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.12 $2.12

5.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.17 $2.17

44.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.77 $9.77

41.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$13.90 $13.90

7.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.77 $1.77

43.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.45 $3.45

1.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.98 $1.98

22.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$62.0 $62.0

18.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.55 $3.55

-10.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.59 $1.59

-12.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$29.44 $29.44

-14.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.89 $0.89

34.83%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$29.8K $29.8K

17.52%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.43%

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

$194 $194

$186 $186

4.30%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$53.2 $53.2

30.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$68.8 $68.8

-10.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$42.71 $42.71

12.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$13.46 $13.46

32.32%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,308 $1,308

37.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$23.8K $23.8K

34.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$50.3 $50.3

33.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$39.94 $39.94

30.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$85.1 $85.1

19.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$113 $113

26.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,629 $1,629

55.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,347 $1,347

17.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,592 $2,592

82.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,266 $2,266

18.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,761 $2,761

51.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,402 $2,402

15.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

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 25, 2026

Last update for Cathedral City, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Cathedral City, CA

$1.3K 51.3% 14.6% $231

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Cathedral City, CA

$384 14.6% 14.3% $64

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Cathedral City, CA

$306 11.7% 11.2% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Cathedral City, CA

$308 11.8% 5.2% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Cathedral City, CA

$130 5% 20.8% $34

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Cathedral City, CA

$81 3.1% 12.8% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Cathedral City, CA

$70 2.7% 16.6% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $1,629 in Cathedral City, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $76 in Cathedral City, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $384 per month, with Cathedral City, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Cathedral City, CA

🕒 Local time

10:01 10:01 AM

08:01 8:01 AM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

51,493

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Cathedral City, CA 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Chicago, IL and Cathedral City, CA differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($3,037 vs $2,626 including rent). Cathedral City, CA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $4,555 in Chicago, IL and $3,939 in Cathedral City, 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 $1,629 in Cathedral City, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cathedral City, CA runs roughly 16% less than in Chicago, IL. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,794 in Chicago, IL versus $1,308 in Cathedral City, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,626 in Cathedral City, CA versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Cathedral City, CA but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Cathedral City, CA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Cathedral City, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.