Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,072 a month against $3,747 in Huntington Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
177

Cost of Living Index in Huntington Beach, CA
Learn more

Huntington Beach, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Huntington Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,747

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,747 in Huntington Beach, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Huntington Beach, CA $3,747

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,302 in Huntington Beach, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Huntington Beach, CA $5,302

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,858 in Huntington Beach, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Huntington Beach, CA $6,858

Chicago, IL is about 18% cheaper than Huntington Beach, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Huntington Beach, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Huntington Beach, CA by 177%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$25.06 $25.06

-18.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$81.6 $81.6

8.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$15.20 $15.20

-15.46%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.89 $5.89

-1.87%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$3.06 $3.06

-10.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.30 $2.30

-1.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$7.35 $7.35

-6.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$7.84 $7.84

17.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.19 $1.19

5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$5.13 $5.13

-30.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$4.88 $4.88

10.25%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$5.07 $5.07

-10.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$12.46 $12.46

9.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$19.14 $19.14

-26.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$15.45 $15.45

16.89%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$4.79 $4.79

7.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.70 $1.70

16.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.30 $4.30

-9.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$5.76 $5.76

-16.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$4.29 $4.29

-34.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.07 $3.07

-13.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.06 $2.06

0.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.47 $2.47

22.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$11.83 $11.83

17.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.85 $14.85

1.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.95 $1.95

34.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.77 $3.77

-8.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.98 $1.98

22.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$69.2 $69.2

8.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.59 $3.59

-11.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.67 $1.67

1.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$31.89 $31.89

-21.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.51 $1.51

-15.23%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.9K $27.9K

28.04%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.2K $26.2K

2.15%

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

$192 $192

$214 $214

-10.35%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$60.7 $60.7

14.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$80.4 $80.4

-22.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$37.03 $37.03

29.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$14.72 $14.72

21.13%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,170 $1,170

55.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$19.8K $19.8K

104.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$65.1 $65.1

1.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$40.71 $40.71

26.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$101 $101

2.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$115 $115

23.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$2,358 $2,358

7.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$2,234 $2,234

-27.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$4,065 $4,065

18.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$3,534 $3,534

-22.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$11.7K $11.7K

-64.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$7,423 $7,423

-63.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$5,600 $5,600

-12.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.56

3.35%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Huntington Beach, CA: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Huntington Beach, CA

$2.2K 59.6% 37.8% $613

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Huntington Beach, CA

$466 12.5% 6.2% $27

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Huntington Beach, CA

$391 10.4% 13.6% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Huntington Beach, CA

$355 9.5% 9.7% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Huntington Beach, CA

$145 3.9% 11.3% $19

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Huntington Beach, CA

$89 2.4% 8% $7.7

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Huntington Beach, CA

$66 1.8% 20.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $2,358 in Huntington 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 14% higher in Huntington Beach, 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 $82 in Huntington Beach, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $439 in Chicago, IL vs $466 in Huntington Beach, CA – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Huntington Beach, CA

🕒 Local time

04:29 4:29 AM

02:29 2:29 AM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

193,366

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Huntington Beach, CA 2,800 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $3,747 in Huntington Beach, CA – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 18% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $5,620 in Huntington Beach, 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 $2,358 in Huntington Beach, CA. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Huntington Beach, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $82 in Huntington Beach, 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 $3,747 in Huntington Beach, 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 $3,747 in Huntington Beach, 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, Huntington Beach, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.