Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,072 a month against $3,170 in Long Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Long Beach, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
152

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

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Long Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,170

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,170 in Long Beach, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Long Beach, CA $3,170

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,689 in Long Beach, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Long Beach, CA $4,689

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,209 in Long Beach, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Long Beach, CA $6,209

Chicago, IL is about 3% cheaper than Long Beach, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Long Beach, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Long Beach, CA by 134%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$19.97 $19.97

2.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$81.0 $81.0

9.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$15.09 $15.09

-14.84%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$6.05 $6.05

-4.46%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$3.45 $3.45

-20.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.42 $2.42

-6.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$7.53 $7.53

-8.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$9.64 $9.64

-4.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.05 $1.05

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$4.15 $4.15

-14.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$4.73 $4.73

13.74%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$4.77 $4.77

-4.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$12.84 $12.84

6.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$20.28 $20.28

-30.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$15.61 $15.61

15.70%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$4.92 $4.92

4.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.71 $1.71

15.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$5.56 $5.56

-30.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$5.93 $5.93

-18.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.71 $3.71

-24.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.25 $2.25

18.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.99 $1.99

4.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.83 $1.83

65.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$11.86 $11.86

17.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.24 $15.24

-1.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.91 $1.91

37.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$4.06 $4.06

-15.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.23 $1.23

97.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$65.3 $65.3

15.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.05 $3.05

3.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.82 $1.82

-6.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$35.98 $35.98

-30.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.59 $1.59

-19.50%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$28.3K $28.3K

26.54%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.4K $27.4K

-2.16%

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

$192 $192

$170 $170

12.92%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$66.3 $66.3

4.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$60.0 $60.0

3.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$36.19 $36.19

32.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$15.20 $15.20

17.30%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,936 $1,936

-6.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$17.7K $17.7K

129.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$57.5 $57.5

15.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$39.27 $39.27

30.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$91.2 $91.2

13.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$147 $147

-2.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$2,097 $2,097

20.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,759 $1,759

-7.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$3,556 $3,556

35.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$3,038 $3,038

-10.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$7,121 $7,121

-41.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$6,423 $6,423

-57.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$4,670 $4,670

5.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.31

7.45%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Long Beach, CA: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Long Beach, CA

$1.8K 55.5% 8.5% $138

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Long Beach, CA

$457 14.4% 4.1% $18

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Long Beach, CA

$358 11.3% 4.1% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Long Beach, CA

$296 9.4% 8.5% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Long Beach, CA

$151 4.8% 7.9% $13

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Long Beach, CA

$82 2.6% 14.8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Long Beach, CA

$67 2.1% 20.2% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $2,097 in Long 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 5% higher in Chicago, IL, 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 $89 in Chicago, IL versus $81 in Long Beach, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $439 in Chicago, IL vs $457 in Long Beach, CA – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Long Beach, CA

🕒 Local time

19:36 7:36 PM

17:36 5:36 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

469,450

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Long Beach, CA 2,810 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $3,170 in Long Beach, CA – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 3% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,755 in Long Beach, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Long Beach, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,097 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Long Beach, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $81 in Long 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 $3,170 in Long 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 $3,170 in Long Beach, CA. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.