Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Costa Mesa, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,934 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 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
189

Cost of Living Index in Costa Mesa, CA
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Costa Mesa, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Costa Mesa, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,934 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Costa Mesa, CA $3,934

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,396 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Costa Mesa, CA $5,396

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,858 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Costa Mesa, CA $6,858

Chicago, IL is about 23% cheaper than Costa Mesa, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Costa Mesa, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Costa Mesa, CA by 189%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$20.01 $20.01

3.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$79.6 $79.6

12.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$14.83 $14.83

-11.06%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.80 $5.80

-2.41%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.37 $3.37

-21.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.42 $2.42

-5.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.21 $7.21

-4.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$9.36 $9.36

-5.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.09 $1.09

14.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.01 $4.01

-7.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.90 $4.90

10.00%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.95 $4.95

-4.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$12.97 $12.97

6.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$20.06 $20.06

-28.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$21.10 $21.10

-12.89%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.97 $4.97

5.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.49 $2.49

-20.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.31 $4.31

-5.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.67 $5.67

-12.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.30 $4.30

-37.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.22 $2.22

19.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.18 $2.18

2.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.91 $1.91

63.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$12.01 $12.01

15.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.97 $14.97

-0.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.01 $2.01

26.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.14 $4.14

-15.22%

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

$70.3 $70.3

4.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$6.09 $6.09

-47.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.47 $1.47

-18.37%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$29.4K $29.4K

19.38%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.9K $26.9K

-0.74%

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

$194 $194

$216 $216

-9.99%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$66.4 $66.4

4.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$70.3 $70.3

-12.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$34.61 $34.61

38.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$12.24 $12.24

123.37%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$16.46 $16.46

8.20%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,191 $1,191

50.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$57.4 $57.4

16.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$47.93 $47.93

8.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$94.2 $94.2

7.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$129 $129

11.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,430 $2,430

3.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$2,454 $2,454

-35.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$3,847 $3,847

23.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$3,588 $3,588

-24.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$10.8K $10.8K

-61.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$7,444 $7,444

-62.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$5,983 $5,983

-17.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.39

6.57%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Costa Mesa, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Costa Mesa, CA

$2.5K 62.4% 55.5% $875

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Costa Mesa, CA

$475 12.1% 6.3% $28

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Costa Mesa, CA

$352 9% 2.1% $7.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Costa Mesa, CA

$353 9% 8.3% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Costa Mesa, CA

$148 3.8% 9.8% $16

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Costa Mesa, CA

$84 * 2.1% 9.7% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Costa Mesa, CA

$68 1.7% 19.2% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $2,430 in Costa Mesa, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 21% higher in Costa Mesa, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $80 in Costa Mesa, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $475 in Costa Mesa, CA – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Costa Mesa, CA

🕒 Local time

16:31 4:31 PM

14:31 2:31 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

109,960

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Costa Mesa, CA 2,800 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $3,934 in Costa Mesa, CA – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 23% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $5,900 in Costa Mesa, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $2,430 in Costa Mesa, CA. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Costa Mesa, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $80 in Costa Mesa, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $3,934 in Costa Mesa, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chicago, IL costs $3,037 versus $3,934 in Costa Mesa, CA. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Chicago, IL. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Costa Mesa, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.