Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,072 a month against $4,787 in Los Gatos, CA, rent and utilities included – about $20,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
232

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

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Los Gatos, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,787

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,787 in Los Gatos, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Los Gatos, CA $4,787

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $7,200 in Los Gatos, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Los Gatos, CA $7,200

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $9,613 in Los Gatos, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Los Gatos, CA $9,613

Chicago, IL is about 36% cheaper than Los Gatos, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Chicago, IL and Los Gatos, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Los Gatos, CA by 254%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$25.47 $25.47

-19.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$98.0 $98.0

-9.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$15.24 $15.24

-15.68%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$6.51 $6.51

-11.21%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.92 $2.92

-6.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.57 $2.57

-12.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$7.90 $7.90

-12.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$8.05 $8.05

14.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.28 $1.28

-1.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$4.20 $4.20

-15.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$4.77 $4.77

12.79%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$6.62 $6.62

-31.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$24.66 $24.66

-44.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$11.61 $11.61

21.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$13.16 $13.16

37.23%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$5.35 $5.35

-3.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.17 $3.17

-37.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.91 $4.91

-20.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$5.93 $5.93

-18.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.29 $3.29

-14.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.97 $3.97

-32.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$3.05 $3.05

-32.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.63 $2.63

15.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$11.98 $11.98

16.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$13.10 $13.10

14.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.13 $2.13

23.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.47 $2.47

39.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$4.11 $4.11

-22.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.83 $1.83

-7.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$35.36 $35.36

-29.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.57 $1.57

-18.47%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.9K $27.9K

28.07%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.10%

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

$192 $192

$371 $371

-48.17%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$58.7 $58.7

18.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$64.3 $64.3

-3.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$145 $145

-67.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$16.95 $16.95

5.19%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$2,150 $2,150

-15.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$20.3K $20.3K

100.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$51.3 $51.3

28.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$39.25 $39.25

30.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$75.2 $75.2

37.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$60.2 $60.2

136.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$3,504 $3,504

-27.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$3,124 $3,124

-48.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$6,054 $6,054

-54.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$3,481 $3,481

19.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.69

1.35%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Los Gatos, CA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Los Gatos, CA

$3.1K 65.3% 92.7% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Los Gatos, CA

$470 9.8% 7.1% $31

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Los Gatos, CA

$405 8.5% 17.8% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Los Gatos, CA

$493 10.3% 52.4% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Los Gatos, CA

$102 2.1% 37.8% $62

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Los Gatos, CA

$13 * 0.3% 86.3% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Los Gatos, CA

$179 3.7% 115% $96

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $3,504 in Los Gatos, 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 $98 in Los Gatos, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $470 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Los Gatos, CA

🕒 Local time

12:16 12:16 PM

10:16 10:16 AM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

30,222

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Los Gatos, CA 2,970 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $4,787 in Los Gatos, CA – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 36% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $7,181 in Los Gatos, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chicago, IL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,531 there versus $3,504 in Los Gatos, CA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $98 in Los Gatos, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Los Gatos, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $4,787 in Los Gatos, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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