Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,316 in Davis, CA, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Davis, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
161

Cost of Living Index in Davis, CA
Learn more

Davis, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Davis, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,316

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,316 in Davis, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Davis, CA $3,316

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,712 in Davis, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Davis, CA $4,712

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,107 in Davis, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Davis, CA $6,107

Chicago, IL is about 8% cheaper than Davis, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Davis, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Davis, CA by 144%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$22.69 $22.69

-8.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$99.5 $99.5

-10.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$12.87 $12.87

2.49%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.02 $5.02

12.75%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.57 $3.57

-26.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.36 $2.36

-3.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$8.06 $8.06

-14.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.15 $8.15

8.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.33 $1.33

-6.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.81 $3.81

-2.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.20 $4.20

28.33%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.11 $5.11

-7.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$11.06 $11.06

25.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$15.66 $15.66

-8.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$17.26 $17.26

6.49%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.14 $5.14

1.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.65 $1.65

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.34 $4.34

-6.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.78 $4.78

3.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.77 $2.77

-3.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.08 $3.08

-13.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.28 $2.28

-1.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.22 $2.22

40.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$10.67 $10.67

29.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$16.12 $16.12

-7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.20 $2.20

15.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.43 $3.43

2.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.48 $1.48

64.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$37.27 $37.27

97.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.40 $3.40

-6.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.52 $1.52

-8.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$29.75 $29.75

-15.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.39 $1.39

-13.67%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.7K $27.7K

26.71%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.1K $25.1K

6.48%

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

$194 $194

$289 $289

-32.79%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$58.5 $58.5

18.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$77.6 $77.6

-20.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$43.16 $43.16

10.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$15.40 $15.40

15.65%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,391 $1,391

28.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$24.7K $24.7K

29.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$54.3 $54.3

23.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$41.13 $41.13

26.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$94.9 $94.9

7.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$115 $115

24.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,743 $1,743

44.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,836 $1,836

-14.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$3,453 $3,453

37.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,849 $2,849

-5.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,834 $2,834

47.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$4,209 $4,209

-34.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$5,088 $5,088

-3.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.1

11.64%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Davis, CA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Davis, CA

$1.8K 55.4% 16.3% $258

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Davis, CA

$429 12.9% 4.1% $18

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Davis, CA

$361 10.9% 4.6% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Davis, CA

$425 12.8% 30.7% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Davis, CA

$137 4.1% 16.2% $27

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Davis, CA

$54 1.6% 41.9% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Davis, CA

$74 2.2% 11.4% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,743 in Davis, 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 3% higher in Davis, 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 $100 in Davis, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $429 in Davis, CA – so Davis, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Davis, CA

🕒 Local time

07:05 7:05 AM

05:05 5:05 AM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

66,850

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Davis, CA 2,900 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $3,316 in Davis, CA – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 8% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,975 in Davis, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Davis, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,743 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Davis, CA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $100 in Davis, 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 $3,316 in Davis, 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 $3,316 in Davis, 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, Davis, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.