Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Los Angeles, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $4,060 in Los Angeles, CA, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 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
195

Cost of Living Index in Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,060

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,060 in Los Angeles, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Los Angeles, CA $4,060

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,104 in Los Angeles, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Los Angeles, CA $6,104

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $8,148 in Los Angeles, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Los Angeles, CA $8,148

Chicago, IL is about 25% cheaper than Los Angeles, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Los Angeles, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Los Angeles, CA by 198%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$27.02 $27.02

-23.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$121 $121

-26.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$15.21 $15.21

-13.28%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.78 $5.78

-2.08%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.79 $3.79

-30.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.69 $2.69

-15.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.76 $7.76

-11.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$9.98 $9.98

-11.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.29 $1.29

-3.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.68 $4.68

-20.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.58 $4.58

17.69%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.35 $5.35

-11.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$11.27 $11.27

22.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$16.16 $16.16

-10.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$19.42 $19.42

-5.36%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.24 $5.24

-0.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.33 $2.33

-15.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.62 $4.62

-12.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.56 $5.56

-10.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.38 $3.38

-21.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.93 $2.93

-9.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.95 $1.95

14.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.43 $2.43

28.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.99 $11.99

15.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.05 $15.05

-1.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.94 $2.94

-13.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.71 $2.71

29.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.72 $1.72

41.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$105 $105

-29.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.05 $3.05

4.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.87 $1.87

-25.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$32.19 $32.19

-22.24%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

1.59%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$27.0K $27.0K

-1.03%

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

$194 $194

$280 $280

-30.63%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$78.4 $78.4

-11.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$79.1 $79.1

-22.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$71.2 $71.2

-32.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$12.21 $12.21

123.91%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$18.32 $18.32

-2.78%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,722 $1,722

4.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$31.7K $31.7K

0.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$91.6 $91.6

-26.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$65.7 $65.7

-20.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$117 $117

-13.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$210 $210

-31.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,547 $2,547

-0.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$2,295 $2,295

-31.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$5,372 $5,372

-11.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$4,158 $4,158

-35.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$7,171 $7,171

-41.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$6,923 $6,923

-60.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,204 $4,204

17.28%

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 Los Angeles, CA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Los Angeles, CA

$2.3K 56.5% 45.4% $717

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Los Angeles, CA

$462 11.4% 3.2% $15

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Los Angeles, CA

$416 10.2% 20.6% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Los Angeles, CA

$438 10.8% 34.5% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Los Angeles, CA

$218 5.4% 32.9% $54

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Los Angeles, CA

$124 3.1% 32.7% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Los Angeles, CA

$108 2.7% 29.1% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $2,547 in Los Angeles, 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 17% 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 $121 in Los Angeles, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $462 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🕒 Local time

08:32 8:32 AM

06:32 6:32 AM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

4,030,904

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Los Angeles, CA 2,800 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $4,060 in Los Angeles, CA – roughly 34% apart. 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 $6,090 in Los Angeles, 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 $2,547 in Los Angeles, CA. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Los Angeles, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $121 in Los Angeles, 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 $4,060 in Los Angeles, 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 $4,060 in Los Angeles, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.