Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Banos, CA: $2,394 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
116

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

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Los Banos, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,394

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,394 in Los Banos, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Los Banos, CA $2,394

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,580 in Los Banos, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Los Banos, CA $3,580

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,767 in Los Banos, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Los Banos, CA $4,767

Chicago, IL costs about 31% more than Los Banos, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Los Banos, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Los Banos, CA by 77%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$14.86 $14.86

38.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$101 $101

-10.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$9.83 $9.83

31.64%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.11 $5.11

9.59%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.53 $2.53

4.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.04 $2.04

11.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$7.94 $7.94

-12.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$8.24 $8.24

7.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.03 $1.03

23.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.21 $3.21

18.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.95 $2.95

79.66%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$1.58 $1.58

201.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$8.69 $8.69

60.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$7.73 $7.73

89.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$12.80 $12.80

46.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$3.39 $3.39

53.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.35 $1.35

46.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.79 $2.79

40.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.83 $2.83

75.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.92 $2.92

-5.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.44 $2.44

13.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.30 $2.30

-3.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.49 $2.49

19.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$11.10 $11.10

26.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$14.10 $14.10

8.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.87 $1.87

37.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$1.31 $1.31

167.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.04 $2.04

21.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.71 $2.71

23.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.56 $1.56

-8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$32.88 $32.88

-26.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.45 $1.45

-13.10%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$30.4K $30.4K

15.19%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$27.0K $27.0K

-3.43%

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

$193 $193

$217 $217

-11.33%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$44.68 $44.68

52.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$88.7 $88.7

-30.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$39.09 $39.09

38.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$14.86 $14.86

19.38%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$2,509 $2,509

-34.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$29.5K $29.5K

5.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$23.82 $23.82

177.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$21.67 $21.67

136.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$52.3 $52.3

91.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$59.4 $59.4

137.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,618 $1,618

51.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,294 $1,294

29.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,682 $2,682

75.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,280 $2,280

22.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,713 $2,713

51.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,408 $2,408

10.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$6,598 $6,598

-26.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.47

5.26%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Los Banos, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Los Banos, CA

$1.3K 54.1% 22.9% $384

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Los Banos, CA

$307 12.8% 31.7% $143

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Los Banos, CA

$284 11.9% 17.3% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Los Banos, CA

$351 14.7% 8.8% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Los Banos, CA

$71 3% 56.1% $91

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Los Banos, CA

$19 * 0.8% 80.4% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Los Banos, CA

$69 2.9% 23.2% $21

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,618 in Los Banos, 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 36% higher in Los Banos, CA, 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 $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $101 in Los Banos, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $449 in Chicago, IL vs $307 in Los Banos, CA – so Los Banos, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Los Banos, CA

🕒 Local time

08:17 8:17 AM

06:17 6:17 AM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

35,972

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Los Banos, CA 2,880 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,394 in Los Banos, CA – roughly 31% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,591 in Los Banos, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Los Banos, CA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL and $101 in Los Banos, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $2,394 in Los Banos, 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 $2,394 in Los Banos, CA to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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