Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and La Quinta, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in La Quinta, CA: $2,756 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 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
134

Cost of Living Index in La Quinta, CA
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La Quinta, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

La Quinta, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,756

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,756 in La Quinta, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
La Quinta, CA $2,756

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,046 in La Quinta, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
La Quinta, CA $4,046

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,336 in La Quinta, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
La Quinta, CA $5,336

Chicago, IL costs about 10% more than La Quinta, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chicago, IL and La Quinta, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, La Quinta, CA by 102%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$20.06 $20.06

3.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$81.4 $81.4

9.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$9.91 $9.91

33.10%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.88 $5.88

-3.74%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.03 $2.03

30.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.06 $2.06

10.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.96 $6.96

-1.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$9.87 $9.87

-10.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.53 $4.53

-17.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.71 $4.71

14.44%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.36 $4.36

8.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$11.37 $11.37

21.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$15.73 $15.73

-8.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$19.39 $19.39

-5.21%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.05 $5.05

3.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.20 $2.20

-10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.84 $4.84

-16.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.44 $5.44

-8.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.28 $3.28

-18.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.80 $2.80

-5.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.98 $1.98

13.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.81 $1.81

72.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.96 $11.96

15.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.75 $14.75

0.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.05 $3.05

-16.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.80 $2.80

25.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.05 $2.05

18.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$61.9 $61.9

18.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.08 $3.08

3.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.87 $1.87

-25.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$31.85 $31.85

-21.41%

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

$35.2K $35.2K

-0.40%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.4K $26.4K

1.11%

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

$194 $194

$282 $282

-31.12%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$76.4 $76.4

-9.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$80.1 $80.1

-23.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$41.39 $41.39

15.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$15.13 $15.13

17.71%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$807 $807

122.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$32.4K $32.4K

-1.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$50.5 $50.5

32.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$29.05 $29.05

79.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$56.1 $56.1

80.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$105 $105

37.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,611 $1,611

56.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,277 $1,277

23.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,477 $2,477

91.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,166 $2,166

24.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,685 $2,685

56.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,334 $2,334

18.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.86

-0.73%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for La Quinta, CA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

La Quinta, CA

$1.3K 46.4% 19.1% $301

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

La Quinta, CA

$445 16.2% 0.4% $1.9

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

La Quinta, CA

$332 12% 3.8% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

La Quinta, CA

$439 15.9% 34.8% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

La Quinta, CA

$108 3.9% 34.1% $56

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

La Quinta, CA

$82 3% 11.7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

La Quinta, CA

$72 2.6% 14.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,611 in La Quinta, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $81 in La Quinta, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $445 – making La Quinta, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 La Quinta, CA

🕒 Local time

13:45 1:45 PM

11:45 11:45 AM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

37,558

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL La Quinta, CA 2,660 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,756 in La Quinta, CA – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,133 in La Quinta, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in La Quinta, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,611 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $81 in La Quinta, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 16% less in La Quinta, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Families tend to lean toward La Quinta, CA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.