Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Menlo Park, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,139 a month against $3,601 in Menlo Park, CA, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Menlo Park, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
173

Cost of Living Index in Menlo Park, CA
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Menlo Park, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Menlo Park, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,601

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,601 in Menlo Park, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Menlo Park, CA $3,601

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,632 in Menlo Park, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Menlo Park, CA $6,632

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $9,663 in Menlo Park, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Menlo Park, CA $9,663

Chicago, IL is about 13% cheaper than Menlo Park, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Menlo Park, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Menlo Park, CA by 166%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$25.36 $25.36

-18.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$108 $108

-16.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$12.13 $12.13

6.68%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.81 $5.81

-3.61%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.08 $3.08

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.35 $2.35

-3.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$8.06 $8.06

-13.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$7.97 $7.97

10.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.39 $1.39

-8.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.19 $4.19

-9.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.90 $4.90

8.16%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$6.46 $6.46

-26.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$24.57 $24.57

-43.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$11.73 $11.73

24.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$13.02 $13.02

44.16%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.58 $5.58

-6.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.29 $2.29

-13.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.92 $4.92

-20.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$5.80 $5.80

-14.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.27 $3.27

-15.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.09 $3.09

-10.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.46 $2.46

-9.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.63 $2.63

13.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$11.55 $11.55

21.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$13.00 $13.00

17.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.70 $1.70

51.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.49 $2.49

40.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$4.63 $4.63

-46.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.27 $3.27

2.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$2.42 $2.42

-40.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$39.80 $39.80

-38.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.54 $1.54

-18.18%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.2K $27.2K

28.62%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.9K $26.9K

-3.11%

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

$193 $193

$187 $187

3.11%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$38.24 $38.24

78.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$68.5 $68.5

-10.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$16.11 $16.11

10.12%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$2,684 $2,684

-38.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$37.1K $37.1K

-16.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$51.1 $51.1

29.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$39.52 $39.52

29.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$88.5 $88.5

13.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$59.9 $59.9

135.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$3,223 $3,223

-24.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$2,287 $2,287

-26.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$6,145 $6,145

-23.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$6,562 $6,562

-57.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$21.9K $21.9K

-81.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$16.5K $16.5K

-83.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$4,887 $4,887

-0.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.69

1.79%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Menlo Park, 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%

Menlo Park, CA

$2.3K 63.5% 36.3% $609

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Menlo Park, CA

$460 12.8% 2.3% $10

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Menlo Park, CA

$387 10.7% 12.6% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Menlo Park, CA

$294 8.2% 8.9% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Menlo Park, CA

$108 3% 33.3% $54

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Menlo Park, CA

$34 * 0.9% 64.4% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Menlo Park, CA

$32 * 0.9% 64% $57

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 $3,223 in Menlo Park, 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 0% higher in Menlo Park, 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 $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $108 in Menlo Park, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $460 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Menlo Park, CA

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

06:16 6:16 AM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

33,780

💱 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 Menlo Park, CA 2,980 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Menlo Park, 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 Menlo Park, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $3,601 in Menlo Park, CA – roughly 15% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $5,402 in Menlo Park, 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. 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 $108 in Menlo Park, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Menlo Park, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $3,601 in Menlo Park, 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 $3,139 in Chicago, IL to $3,601 in Menlo Park, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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