Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Monrovia, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Monrovia, CA: $2,704 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Monrovia, CA
Learn more

Monrovia, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monrovia, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,704 in Monrovia, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Monrovia, CA $2,704

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,049 in Monrovia, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Monrovia, CA $4,049

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,394 in Monrovia, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Monrovia, CA $5,394

Chicago, IL costs about 16% more than Monrovia, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Monrovia, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Monrovia, CA by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$24.92 $24.92

-17.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$101 $101

-10.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$11.66 $11.66

10.98%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.61 $5.61

-0.18%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.68 $2.68

-1.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.97 $1.97

15.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$8.23 $8.23

-15.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$9.63 $9.63

-8.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.18 $1.18

7.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$5.85 $5.85

-35.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.23 $4.23

25.30%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.94 $4.94

-3.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$12.40 $12.40

12.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$20.92 $20.92

-30.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$14.06 $14.06

33.50%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.62 $5.62

-7.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.70 $1.70

16.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.29 $4.29

-8.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$6.35 $6.35

-21.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.63 $3.63

-23.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.50 $3.50

-21.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.40 $2.40

-7.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.27 $2.27

31.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$11.63 $11.63

20.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$14.76 $14.76

3.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.75 $1.75

47.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.10 $3.10

12.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.95 $1.95

26.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$4.61 $4.61

-27.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.81 $1.81

-20.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$35.58 $35.58

-31.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.60 $1.60

-21.25%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.7K $27.7K

26.28%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.6K $26.6K

-1.86%

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

$193 $193

$218 $218

-11.65%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$72.4 $72.4

-5.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$71.3 $71.3

-14.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$39.11 $39.11

38.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$11.79 $11.79

50.47%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,948 $1,948

-15.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$42.6K $42.6K

-27.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$73.1 $73.1

-9.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$40.92 $40.92

25.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$80.5 $80.5

24.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$171 $171

-17.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,577 $1,577

55.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,235 $1,235

35.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,490 $2,490

89.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,041 $2,041

36.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,557 $2,557

60.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,351 $2,351

12.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.64

2.56%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Monrovia, CA: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Monrovia, CA

$1.2K 45.7% 26.4% $442

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Monrovia, CA

$477 17.7% 6.2% $28

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Monrovia, CA

$381 14.1% 10.8% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Monrovia, CA

$362 13.4% 12.3% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Monrovia, CA

$165 6.1% 2.1% $3.4

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Monrovia, CA

$21 * 0.8% 77.4% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Monrovia, CA

$63 2.3% 30% $27

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 $1,577 in Monrovia, 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 $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $101 in Monrovia, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $477 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Monrovia, CA

🕒 Local time

16:03 4:03 PM

14:03 2:03 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

36,590

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Monrovia, CA 2,780 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,704 in Monrovia, CA – roughly 16% 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 $4,056 in Monrovia, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Monrovia, 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 Monrovia, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $2,704 in Monrovia, 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 $2,704 in Monrovia, CA to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. 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 Monrovia, 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.