Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Hermosa Beach, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Hermosa Beach, CA: $2,748 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in Hermosa Beach, CA
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Hermosa Beach, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Hermosa Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,748

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,748 in Hermosa Beach, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Hermosa Beach, CA $2,748

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,129 in Hermosa Beach, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Hermosa Beach, CA $4,129

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,511 in Hermosa Beach, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Hermosa Beach, CA $5,511

Chicago, IL costs about 14% more than Hermosa Beach, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Hermosa Beach, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Hermosa Beach, CA by 103%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$25.31 $25.31

-18.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$121 $121

-25.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$15.05 $15.05

-14.02%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$6.10 $6.10

-8.20%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.07 $3.07

-14.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.32 $2.32

-2.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$7.88 $7.88

-11.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$10.03 $10.03

-11.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.28 $1.28

-0.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.70 $4.70

-19.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.74 $4.74

11.81%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$5.51 $5.51

-13.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$11.56 $11.56

20.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$9.02 $9.02

61.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$19.23 $19.23

-2.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.69 $4.69

10.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.30 $2.30

-13.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.95 $3.95

-0.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$5.59 $5.59

-11.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.24 $3.24

-14.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.90 $2.90

-4.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.00 $2.00

11.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.45 $2.45

21.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$11.95 $11.95

17.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$14.87 $14.87

2.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.45 $2.45

5.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.77 $2.77

26.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.96 $1.96

26.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.04 $3.04

9.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.82 $1.82

-21.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$32.13 $32.13

-24.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.54 $1.54

-18.18%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$29.0K $29.0K

20.86%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.9K $26.9K

-3.02%

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

$193 $193

$217 $217

-11.28%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$77.3 $77.3

-11.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$76.2 $76.2

-19.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$41.90 $41.90

29.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

$15.06 $15.06

85.39%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$17.68 $17.68

0.34%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,636 $1,636

0.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$12.5K $12.5K

149.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$61.7 $61.7

7.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$48.44 $48.44

5.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$106 $106

-5.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$104 $104

34.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,566 $1,566

56.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,314 $1,314

27.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,537 $2,537

85.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,150 $2,150

30.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,944 $2,944

39.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,224 $2,224

19.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$7,062 $7,062

-31.10%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Hermosa Beach, CA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Hermosa Beach, CA

$1.3K 47.8% 21.7% $364

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Hermosa Beach, CA

$420 15.3% 6.6% $30

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Hermosa Beach, CA

$402 14.6% 17% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Hermosa Beach, CA

$371 13.5% 15% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Hermosa Beach, CA

$144 5.2% 10.6% $17

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Hermosa Beach, CA

$20 * 0.7% 79% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Hermosa Beach, CA

$77 2.8% 13.8% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,566 in Hermosa Beach, 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 45% higher in Hermosa Beach, CA, 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 $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $121 in Hermosa Beach, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $449 in Chicago, IL vs $420 in Hermosa Beach, CA – so Hermosa Beach, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Hermosa Beach, CA

🕒 Local time

17:38 5:38 PM

15:38 3:38 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

19,728

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Hermosa Beach, CA 2,830 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,748 in Hermosa Beach, CA – roughly 14% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,121 in Hermosa Beach, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hermosa Beach, CA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL and $121 in Hermosa Beach, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $2,748 in Hermosa Beach, 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 $2,748 in Hermosa Beach, CA to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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