Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $4,001 in Irvine, CA, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 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
192

Cost of Living Index in Irvine, CA
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Irvine, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Irvine, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,001

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,001 in Irvine, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Irvine, CA $4,001

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,760 in Irvine, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Irvine, CA $5,760

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $7,519 in Irvine, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Irvine, CA $7,519

Chicago, IL is about 24% cheaper than Irvine, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Irvine, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Irvine, CA by 194%.

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

$101 $101

-11.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.49 $11.49

14.80%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.71 $5.71

-0.88%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.82 $2.82

-6.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.03 $2.03

12.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$8.23 $8.23

-16.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$9.88 $9.88

-10.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.19 $1.19

5.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$5.71 $5.71

-34.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.28 $4.28

25.93%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.06 $5.06

-6.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$12.56 $12.56

10.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$20.26 $20.26

-28.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$13.94 $13.94

31.85%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.49 $5.49

-4.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.72 $1.72

15.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.25 $4.25

-4.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$6.68 $6.68

-25.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.53 $3.53

-24.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.60 $3.60

-26.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.31 $2.31

-3.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.20 $2.20

42.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.81 $11.81

17.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.71 $14.71

1.16%

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

$3.15 $3.15

11.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.95 $1.95

24.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$71.8 $71.8

2.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$4.48 $4.48

-29.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.84 $1.84

-24.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$35.43 $35.43

-29.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.51 $1.51

-20.53%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.9K $27.9K

25.48%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.55%

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

$194 $194

$212 $212

-8.40%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$70.2 $70.2

-1.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$68.9 $68.9

-10.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$38.15 $38.15

25.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$13.08 $13.08

109.02%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$12.10 $12.10

47.19%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,897 $1,897

-5.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$42.3K $42.3K

-24.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$72.7 $72.7

-7.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$41.09 $41.09

26.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$81.5 $81.5

24.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$168 $168

-14.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$3,356 $3,356

-24.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$2,471 $2,471

-36.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$5,294 $5,294

-10.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$4,024 $4,024

-33.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$9,053 $9,053

-53.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$8,007 $8,007

-65.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$6,741 $6,741

-26.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.64

2.56%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Irvine, CA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Irvine, CA

$2.5K 61.8% 56.6% $893

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Irvine, CA

$473 11.8% 5.8% $26

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Irvine, CA

$386 9.7% 12% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Irvine, CA

$351 8.8% 7.9% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Irvine, CA

$163 4.1% 0.4% $0.7

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Irvine, CA

$93 2.3% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Irvine, CA

$62 1.6% 25.4% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $3,356 in Irvine, 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 37% higher in Irvine, CA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $101 in Irvine, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $473 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Irvine, CA

🕒 Local time

17:37 5:37 PM

15:37 3:37 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

209,716

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $4,001 in Irvine, CA – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 24% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $6,002 in Irvine, 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 $2,526 there versus $3,356 in Irvine, CA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $101 in Irvine, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

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

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $4,001 in Irvine, 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 $3,037 in Chicago, IL to $4,001 in Irvine, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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