Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Garden Grove, CA: $1,417 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 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
68

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

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Garden Grove, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,417

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $1,417 in Garden Grove, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Garden Grove, CA $1,417

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,270 in Garden Grove, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Garden Grove, CA $2,270

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,123 in Garden Grove, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Garden Grove, CA $3,123

Chicago, IL costs about 114% more than Garden Grove, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Garden Grove, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Garden Grove, CA by 4%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$25.39 $25.39

-18.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$78.0 $78.0

14.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.29 $11.29

16.83%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.52 $5.52

2.54%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.73 $2.73

-3.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.95 $1.95

16.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.35 $7.35

-6.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$9.97 $9.97

-11.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.19 $1.19

5.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$5.30 $5.30

-29.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.42 $4.42

21.95%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.08 $5.08

-6.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$12.50 $12.50

10.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$8.78 $8.78

64.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$13.68 $13.68

34.36%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.60 $4.60

13.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.71 $1.71

15.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.97 $3.97

2.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.73 $5.73

-13.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.54 $3.54

-24.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.03 $3.03

-12.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.15 $2.15

4.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.26 $2.26

38.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.56 $11.56

19.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.25 $15.25

-2.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.75 $1.75

45.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.25 $3.25

8.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$5.14 $5.14

-52.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$70.3 $70.3

4.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$4.61 $4.61

-31.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.87 $1.87

-25.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$36.22 $36.22

-30.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.52 $1.52

-21.05%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.2K $28.2K

24.37%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.61%

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

$194 $194

$219 $219

-11.27%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$70.1 $70.1

-0.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$69.2 $69.2

-10.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$14.78 $14.78

224.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$20.05 $20.05

36.36%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$15.02 $15.02

18.58%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,190 $1,190

50.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$42.6K $42.6K

-25.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$62.6 $62.6

7.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$40.09 $40.09

30.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$79.7 $79.7

27.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$104 $104

38.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,240 $2,240

12.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$3,561 $3,561

33.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,670 $4,670

5.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.31

7.92%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Garden 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%

Garden Grove, CA

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Garden Grove, CA

$401 28.3% 10.3% $46

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Garden Grove, CA

$379 26.7% 9.8% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Garden Grove, CA

$358 25.3% 10.1% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Garden Grove, CA

$129 9.1% 21.5% $35

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Garden Grove, CA

$105 7.4% 12.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Garden Grove, CA

$45 3.2% 46.3% $39

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 $2,240 in Garden 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 6% higher in Chicago, IL, 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 $78 in Garden Grove, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $401 – making Garden Grove, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Garden Grove, CA

🕒 Local time

20:13 8:13 PM

18:13 6:13 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

170,883

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Garden Grove, CA 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $1,417 in Garden Grove, CA – Garden Grove, CA comes out roughly 53% 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 $2,125 in Garden Grove, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Garden Grove, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,240 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $78 in Garden Grove, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $1,417 in Garden Grove, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Garden Grove, 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 Garden Grove, 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.