Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,072 a month against $3,978 in Fairfield, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 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
190

Cost of Living Index in Fairfield, CA
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Fairfield, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Fairfield, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,978

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,978 in Fairfield, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Fairfield, CA $3,978

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,242 in Fairfield, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Fairfield, CA $5,242

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,507 in Fairfield, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Fairfield, CA $6,507

Chicago, IL is about 23% cheaper than Fairfield, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Chicago, IL and Fairfield, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Fairfield, CA by 194%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$21.62 $21.62

-5.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$88.7 $88.7

-0.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$12.01 $12.01

6.99%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$6.94 $6.94

-16.71%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$3.49 $3.49

-21.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.02 $2.02

11.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$7.98 $7.98

-13.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$7.16 $7.16

29.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.41 $1.41

-10.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$4.42 $4.42

-19.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$4.68 $4.68

14.96%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$5.54 $5.54

-17.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$14.08 $14.08

-3.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$15.20 $15.20

-7.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$17.77 $17.77

1.63%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$6.11 $6.11

-15.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.59 $2.59

-23.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$6.35 $6.35

-38.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$6.60 $6.60

-26.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.89 $3.89

-27.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.54 $3.54

-24.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.33 $2.33

-11.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.06 $2.06

47.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$11.87 $11.87

17.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$10.18 $10.18

47.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.11 $2.11

24.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.12 $2.12

62.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.96 $1.96

23.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$87.1 $87.1

-13.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.95 $2.95

7.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.95 $1.95

-12.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$29.14 $29.14

-14.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.43 $1.43

-10.49%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$28.2K $28.2K

26.99%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.62%

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

$192 $192

$193 $193

-0.34%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$48.25 $48.25

44.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$72.9 $72.9

-14.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$125 $125

-61.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

$73.7 $73.7

-63.23%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$14.61 $14.61

22.04%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,293 $1,293

40.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$22.3K $22.3K

81.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$51.1 $51.1

29.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$37.08 $37.08

38.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$107 $107

-3.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$112 $112

27.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$2,396 $2,396

5.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$2,432 $2,432

-33.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$3,100 $3,100

55.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,967 $2,967

-7.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$3,719 $3,719

11.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$3,665 $3,665

-25.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$4,749 $4,749

3.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.48

4.63%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Fairfield, CA: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Fairfield, CA

$2.4K 61.1% 50% $811

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Fairfield, CA

$463 11.7% 5.5% $24

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Fairfield, CA

$369 9.3% 7.1% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Fairfield, CA

$314 7.9% 3.1% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Fairfield, CA

$138 3.5% 15.5% $25

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Fairfield, CA

$108 2.7% 11.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Fairfield, CA

$155 3.9% 85.2% $71

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $2,396 in Fairfield, 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 4% higher in Chicago, IL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $89 in Fairfield, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $463 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Fairfield, CA

🕒 Local time

15:48 3:48 PM

13:48 1:48 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

117,133

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Fairfield, CA 2,940 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $3,978 in Fairfield, CA – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 23% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $5,966 in Fairfield, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $2,531 in Chicago, IL and $2,396 in Fairfield, CA. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Chicago, IL. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Fairfield, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $3,978 in Fairfield, 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 $3,072 in Chicago, IL to $3,978 in Fairfield, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.