Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Eureka, CA: $2,476 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 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
118

Cost of Living Index in Eureka, CA
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Eureka, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Eureka, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,476

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,476 in Eureka, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Eureka, CA $2,476

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,740 in Eureka, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Eureka, CA $2,740

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,005 in Eureka, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Eureka, CA $3,005

Chicago, IL costs about 23% more than Eureka, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Eureka, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Eureka, CA by 82%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$18.24 $18.24

13.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$70.4 $70.4

26.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.96 $11.96

10.28%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.40 $5.40

4.81%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.15 $3.15

-16.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.32 $2.32

-1.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.45 $6.45

6.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.22 $8.22

7.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.37 $1.37

-8.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.39 $3.39

9.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.54 $4.54

18.72%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.29 $5.29

-10.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$22.37 $22.37

-38.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$14.75 $14.75

-2.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$21.45 $21.45

-14.31%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$6.29 $6.29

-17.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.51 $2.51

-21.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$6.97 $6.97

-41.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$6.93 $6.93

-28.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.94 $3.94

-32.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.62 $3.62

-26.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$3.05 $3.05

-26.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.07 $2.07

51.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.76 $11.76

17.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$12.23 $12.23

21.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.11 $2.11

20.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.14 $2.14

64.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.99 $3.99

-20.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.95 $1.95

-28.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$29.44 $29.44

-14.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.35 $1.35

-11.11%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.3K $27.3K

28.43%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.63%

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

$194 $194

$190 $190

2.13%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$48.11 $48.11

44.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$71.3 $71.3

-13.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$46.67 $46.67

2.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.44 $14.44

23.34%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,297 $1,297

38.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$39.4K $39.4K

-18.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$50.5 $50.5

32.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$36.27 $36.27

43.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$108 $108

-5.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$125 $125

14.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,385 $1,385

82.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,120 $1,120

40.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,368 $2,368

100.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,309 $3,309

26.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$3,282 $3,282

-15.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,804 $3,804

29.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.35

7.24%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Eureka, CA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Eureka, CA

$1.1K 45.2% 29% $458

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Eureka, CA

$497 20.1% 11% $49

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Eureka, CA

$317 12.8% 8% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Eureka, CA

$310 12.5% 4.9% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Eureka, CA

$144 5.8% 12.4% $20

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Eureka, CA

$14 * 0.6% 85.3% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Eureka, CA

$76 3.1% 9.6% $8

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 $1,385 in Eureka, 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 30% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $70 in Eureka, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $497 in Eureka, CA – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Eureka, CA

🕒 Local time

16:19 4:19 PM

14:19 2:19 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

27,191

💱 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 Eureka, CA 3,030 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,476 in Eureka, CA – Eureka, CA comes out roughly 18% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,714 in Eureka, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Eureka, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,385 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $70 in Eureka, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Families tend to lean toward Eureka, CA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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