Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Elk Grove, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $4,270 in Elk Grove, CA, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
203

Cost of Living Index in Elk Grove, CA
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Elk Grove, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Elk Grove, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,270

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,270 in Elk Grove, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Elk Grove, CA $4,270

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,137 in Elk Grove, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Elk Grove, CA $6,137

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $8,003 in Elk Grove, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Elk Grove, CA $8,003

Chicago, IL is about 29% cheaper than Elk Grove, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Elk Grove, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Elk Grove, CA by 214%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$22.20 $22.20

-6.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$64.4 $64.4

38.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.91 $11.91

10.75%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$7.10 $7.10

-20.28%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.10 $2.10

25.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.68 $2.68

-14.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$10.63 $10.63

-35.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$10.69 $10.69

-17.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.58 $1.58

-20.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.14 $4.14

-10.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$8.84 $8.84

-39.03%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.64 $5.64

-15.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$17.70 $17.70

-21.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$30.44 $30.44

-52.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$27.66 $27.66

-33.55%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$9.53 $9.53

-45.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.24 $3.24

-38.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$9.98 $9.98

-59.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$8.45 $8.45

-41.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$7.57 $7.57

-64.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$5.94 $5.94

-55.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.97 $2.97

-24.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.04 $2.04

53.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$13.22 $13.22

4.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$21.40 $21.40

-30.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$8.77 $8.77

-59.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$7.94 $7.94

-69.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$152 $152

-51.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$6.86 $6.86

-53.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$3.68 $3.68

-62.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.37 $1.37

-12.41%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$31.1K $31.1K

12.55%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$22.9K $22.9K

16.39%

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

$194 $194

$252 $252

-22.94%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$110 $110

-36.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$133 $133

-53.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$102 $102

-53.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$25.16 $25.16

8.66%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$17.74 $17.74

0.39%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,459 $1,459

22.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$18.1K $18.1K

76.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$91.2 $91.2

-26.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$90.9 $90.9

-42.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$173 $173

-41.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$132 $132

8.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,318 $2,318

8.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$2,132 $2,132

-25.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$3,335 $3,335

42.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$3,461 $3,461

-22.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,934 $3,934

6.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$3,172 $3,172

-12.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$7,595 $7,595

-35.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.53

4.29%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Elk Grove, CA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Elk Grove, CA

$2.1K 49.9% 35.1% $554

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Elk Grove, CA

$684 * 16% 52.9% $237

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Elk Grove, CA

$392 9.2% 13.7% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Elk Grove, CA

$495 11.6% 52.2% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Elk Grove, CA

$219 5.1% 33.8% $55

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Elk Grove, CA

$209 4.9% 124% $116

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Elk Grove, CA

$138 3.2% 64.9% $54

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 $2,318 in Elk Grove, 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 54% higher in Elk Grove, CA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $64 in Elk Grove, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $684 in Elk Grove, CA – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Elk Grove, CA

🕒 Local time

17:29 5:29 PM

15:29 3:29 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

166,913

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Elk Grove, CA 2,880 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $4,270 in Elk Grove, CA – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 29% 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 $6,405 in Elk Grove, 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 $2,318 in Elk Grove, CA. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 53% more in Elk Grove, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $64 in Elk Grove, 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 $4,270 in Elk Grove, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,037 in Chicago, IL to $4,270 in Elk Grove, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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