Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chester, CA: $2,629 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Chester, CA
Learn more

Chester, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Chester, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,629

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL versus $2,629 in Chester, CA.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Chester, CA $2,629

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Chicago, IL versus $3,789 in Chester, CA.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Chester, CA $3,789

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,115 in Chicago, IL versus $4,949 in Chester, CA.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Chester, CA $4,949

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 19% more expensive than in Chester, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 132% above, Chester, CA 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$15.13 $15.13

36.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$56.1 $56.1

60.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$12.61 $12.61

2.62%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.06 $5.06

10.67%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.94 $1.94

36.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.46 $1.46

55.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$4.99 $4.99

39.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$6.45 $6.45

36.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.23 $1.23

3.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.19 $4.19

-9.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.62 $4.62

14.72%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$5.67 $5.67

-16.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$14.96 $14.96

-6.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$14.97 $14.97

-2.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$17.94 $17.94

4.63%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.05 $5.05

2.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.94 $1.94

2.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.30 $4.30

-8.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$5.74 $5.74

-13.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.86 $3.86

-28.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.34 $3.34

-17.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.50 $2.50

-11.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.70 $2.70

10.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$9.06 $9.06

54.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$13.92 $13.92

9.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.52 $3.52

-0.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.28 $2.28

8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$4.11 $4.11

-18.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.93 $1.93

-25.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$24.76 $24.76

-1.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.41 $1.41

-10.64%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$35.2K $35.2K

-0.64%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$27.2K $27.2K

-4.22%

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

$193 $193

$227 $227

-15.20%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$60.6 $60.6

12.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$69.3 $69.3

-11.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$35.63 $35.63

51.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$17.07 $17.07

3.93%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,537 $1,537

7.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$19.0K $19.0K

63.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$61.7 $61.7

7.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$46.31 $46.31

10.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$94.4 $94.4

6.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$126 $126

11.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,604 $1,604

52.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,300 $1,300

29.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,499 $2,499

88.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,130 $2,130

31.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,448 $2,448

67.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,699 $2,699

-1.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.5

4.77%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chester, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Chester, CA

$1.3K 49.5% 22.5% $378

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Chester, CA

$460 17.5% 2.4% $11

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Chester, CA

$271 10.3% 21.1% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Chester, CA

$357 13.6% 10.8% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Chester, CA

$148 5.6% 8.2% $13

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Chester, CA

$23 * 0.9% 75.9% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Chester, CA

$70 2.7% 22.1% $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 $1,604 in Chester, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $90.0 in Chicago, IL vs $56.0 in Chester, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $449 vs $460, with Chicago, IL cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Chester, CA

🕒 Local time

09:53 9:53 AM

07:53 7:53 AM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

36,801

💱 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 Chester, CA 2,800 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Chester, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chester, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,708 in Chicago, IL and $3,944 in Chester, 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: $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,604 in Chester, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Chicago, IL pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL versus $2,629 in Chester, CA – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Chester, CA 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 Chester, CA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,629 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chester, CA hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Chester, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.