Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Concord, CA: $2,891 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
139

Cost of Living Index in Concord, CA
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Concord, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Concord, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,891

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,891 in Concord, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Concord, CA $2,891

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,258 in Concord, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Concord, CA $4,258

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,625 in Concord, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Concord, CA $5,625

Chicago, IL costs about 6% more than Concord, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chicago, IL and Concord, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Concord, CA by 114%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$25.39 $25.39

-19.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$78.8 $78.8

12.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$14.79 $14.79

-13.12%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.84 $5.84

-1.03%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$3.15 $3.15

-13.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.58 $2.58

-12.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$8.90 $8.90

-22.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$7.86 $7.86

17.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.31 $1.31

-3.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$4.38 $4.38

-18.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$4.88 $4.88

10.25%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$5.28 $5.28

-13.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$24.70 $24.70

-44.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$11.79 $11.79

19.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$13.25 $13.25

36.30%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$5.48 $5.48

-5.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.48 $2.48

-20.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.75 $4.75

-18.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$5.73 $5.73

-15.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.33 $3.33

-15.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.82 $3.82

-30.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.43 $2.43

-14.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.64 $2.64

14.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$11.64 $11.64

19.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$13.17 $13.17

14.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.00 $2.00

31.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.46 $2.46

40.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.45 $2.45

-0.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$60.5 $60.5

24.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.54 $3.54

-10.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.22 $2.22

-23.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$35.29 $35.29

-29.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.53 $1.53

-16.34%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.5K $27.5K

30.28%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.10%

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

$192 $192

$137 $137

39.83%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$42.79 $42.79

62.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$63.9 $63.9

-2.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$57.7 $57.7

-17.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$11.36 $11.36

56.95%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$2,196 $2,196

-17.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$19.6K $19.6K

106.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$52.4 $52.4

26.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$40.36 $40.36

27.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$75.1 $75.1

37.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$59.7 $59.7

139.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$2,220 $2,220

14.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,518 $1,518

6.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$4,428 $4,428

9.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,512 $2,512

8.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$4,191 $4,191

-0.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$4,198 $4,198

-35.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$5,027 $5,027

-2.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.66

1.80%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Concord, CA: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Concord, CA

$1.5K 52.5% 6.4% $103

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Concord, CA

$461 15.9% 4.9% $21

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Concord, CA

$401 13.9% 16.5% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Concord, CA

$244 8.4% 24.6% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Concord, CA

$102 3.5% 37.4% $61

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Concord, CA

$85 2.9% 12.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Concord, CA

$80 2.8% 3.6% $3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $2,220 in Concord, CA. 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 $89 in Chicago, IL versus $79 in Concord, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $439 in Chicago, IL vs $461 in Concord, CA – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Concord, CA

🕒 Local time

11:36 11:36 AM

09:36 9:36 AM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

42,695

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Concord, CA 2,950 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $2,891 in Concord, CA – Concord, CA comes out roughly 6% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,336 in Concord, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Concord, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,220 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $79 in Concord, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,891 in Concord, CA to $3,072 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.