Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Foster City, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,072 a month against $4,255 in Foster City, CA, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 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
206

Cost of Living Index in Foster City, CA
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Foster City, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Foster City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,255

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,255 in Foster City, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Foster City, CA $4,255

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,028 in Foster City, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Foster City, CA $4,028

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,801 in Foster City, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Foster City, CA $3,801

Chicago, IL is about 28% cheaper than Foster City, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Foster City, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Foster City, CA by 215%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$25.11 $25.11

-18.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$111 $111

-20.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$11.80 $11.80

8.90%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.79 $5.79

-0.17%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$3.07 $3.07

-10.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.74 $2.74

-17.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$7.90 $7.90

-12.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$7.78 $7.78

18.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.43 $1.43

-11.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$4.91 $4.91

-27.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$2.15 $2.15

150.23%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$6.23 $6.23

-26.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$15.17 $15.17

-10.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$13.11 $13.11

7.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$23.12 $23.12

-21.89%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$7.83 $7.83

-34.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.31 $2.31

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$6.46 $6.46

-39.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$3.24 $3.24

49.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.35 $3.35

-16.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.70 $2.70

-1.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.52 $2.52

-17.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.95 $1.95

55.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$11.94 $11.94

16.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$20.02 $20.02

-24.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.75 $1.75

50.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$4.07 $4.07

-15.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.66 $3.66

-33.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$188 $188

-59.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.23 $3.23

-1.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.85 $1.85

-8.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$29.23 $29.23

-14.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.61 $1.61

-20.50%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.8K $27.8K

28.59%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.5K $26.5K

1.34%

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

$192 $192

$267 $267

-28.10%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$49.28 $49.28

41.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$67.0 $67.0

-7.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$111 $111

-57.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$16.31 $16.31

9.32%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$2,485 $2,485

-26.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$42.4K $42.4K

-4.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$47.13 $47.13

40.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$30.55 $30.55

68.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$66.4 $66.4

55.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$49.98 $49.98

185.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$3,053 $3,053

-17.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$2,563 $2,563

-36.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$10.9K $10.9K

-61.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$9,616 $9,616

-71.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$6,798 $6,798

-27.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.82

-0.59%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Foster City, 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%

Foster City, CA

$2.6K 60.2% 58.1% $942

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Foster City, CA

$478 11.2% 8.9% $39

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Foster City, CA

$384 9% 11.6% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Foster City, CA

$383 9% 18.4% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Foster City, CA

$87 2.1% 46.6% $76

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Foster City, CA

$215 5.1% 122% $118

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Foster City, CA

$144 3.4% 72.4% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $3,053 in Foster City, 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 38% higher in Foster City, 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 $111 in Foster City, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $478 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Foster City, CA

🕒 Local time

17:50 5:50 PM

15:50 3:50 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

30,567

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Foster City, CA 2,980 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $4,255 in Foster City, CA – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $6,382 in Foster City, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chicago, IL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,531 there versus $3,053 in Foster City, CA.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Foster City, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $111 in Foster City, 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 $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $4,255 in Foster City, 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 $3,072 versus $4,255 in Foster City, 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, Foster City, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.