Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Laguna Niguel, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $4,226 in Laguna Niguel, CA, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 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
203

Cost of Living Index in Laguna Niguel, CA
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Laguna Niguel, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Laguna Niguel, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,226

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,226 in Laguna Niguel, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Laguna Niguel, CA $4,226

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,456 in Laguna Niguel, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Laguna Niguel, CA $5,456

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,687 in Laguna Niguel, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Laguna Niguel, CA $6,687

Chicago, IL is about 28% cheaper than Laguna Niguel, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Laguna Niguel, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Laguna Niguel, CA by 211%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$24.63 $24.63

-15.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$99.1 $99.1

-9.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.94 $11.94

10.47%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.65 $5.65

0.18%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.53 $3.53

-25.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.78 $2.78

-17.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.95 $7.95

-13.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$9.84 $9.84

-10.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.24 $1.24

0.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$5.87 $5.87

-36.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.59 $4.59

17.43%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.09 $5.09

-6.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$12.64 $12.64

9.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$16.29 $16.29

-11.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$19.28 $19.28

-4.67%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.50 $5.50

-5.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.91 $1.91

3.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.85 $4.85

-16.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$6.58 $6.58

-24.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.40 $3.40

-21.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.84 $2.84

-6.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.35 $2.35

-4.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.24 $2.24

39.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.63 $11.63

18.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.72 $14.72

1.09%

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

$2.78 $2.78

26.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.97 $1.97

23.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$49.11 $49.11

49.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$4.52 $4.52

-29.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.84 $1.84

-24.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$31.75 $31.75

-21.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.57 $1.57

-23.57%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$34.4K $34.4K

1.84%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.33%

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

$194 $194

$280 $280

-30.68%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$72.6 $72.6

-4.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$78.6 $78.6

-21.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$93.8 $93.8

-48.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.81 $14.81

20.26%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,686 $1,686

6.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$31.8K $31.8K

0.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$74.9 $74.9

-10.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$40.32 $40.32

29.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$120 $120

-15.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$141 $141

1.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,651 $2,651

-4.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$2,571 $2,571

-38.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$4,423 $4,423

7.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$3,044 $3,044

-11.52%

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

$5,150 $5,150

-4.27%

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 Laguna Niguel, CA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Laguna Niguel, CA

$2.6K 60.9% 63% $993

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Laguna Niguel, CA

$474 11.2% 6% $27

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Laguna Niguel, CA

$385 9.1% 11.7% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Laguna Niguel, CA

$432 10.2% 32.6% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Laguna Niguel, CA

$169 4% 3.2% $5.2

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Laguna Niguel, CA

$71 1.7% 24.2% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Laguna Niguel, CA

$123 2.9% 47.8% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $2,651 in Laguna Niguel, 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 4% higher in Laguna Niguel, 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 $99 in Laguna Niguel, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $474 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Laguna Niguel, CA

🕒 Local time

04:10 4:10 AM

02:10 2:10 AM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

64,771

💱 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 Laguna Niguel, CA 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $4,226 in Laguna Niguel, CA – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 28% 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 $6,339 in Laguna Niguel, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $2,651 in Laguna Niguel, CA. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $99 in Laguna Niguel, 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 $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $4,226 in Laguna Niguel, 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 $3,037 versus $4,226 in Laguna Niguel, 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, Laguna Niguel, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.