Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Mountain View, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $4,650 in Mountain View, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
227

Cost of Living Index in Mountain View, CA
Learn more

Mountain View, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Mountain View, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,650

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,650 in Mountain View, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Mountain View, CA $4,650

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,615 in Mountain View, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Mountain View, CA $6,615

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $8,580 in Mountain View, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Mountain View, CA $8,580

Chicago, IL is about 35% cheaper than Mountain View, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chicago, IL and Mountain View, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Mountain View, CA by 242%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$20.34 $20.34

1.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$101 $101

-11.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.96 $11.96

10.28%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.21 $5.21

8.64%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.73 $2.73

-3.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.72 $2.72

-16.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.15 $7.15

-3.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$9.99 $9.99

-11.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.27 $1.27

-1.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.18 $4.18

-11.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.68 $4.68

15.17%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.52 $5.52

-14.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$16.21 $16.21

-14.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$11.71 $11.71

22.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$12.96 $12.96

41.82%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.39 $5.39

-3.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.88 $1.88

5.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.43 $4.43

-8.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.69 $5.69

-12.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.94 $3.94

-32.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$5.65 $5.65

-52.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.43 $2.43

-7.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.62 $2.62

19.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.63 $11.63

18.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$12.92 $12.92

15.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.15 $2.15

18.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.45 $2.45

43.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.47 $2.47

-1.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$88.6 $88.6

-16.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.91 $3.91

-18.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$4.87 $4.87

-71.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

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

$27.2K $27.2K

28.63%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.45%

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

$194 $194

$288 $288

-32.59%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$44.81 $44.81

54.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$63.9 $63.9

-3.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$78.6 $78.6

-39.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$11.81 $11.81

131.50%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$17.10 $17.10

4.15%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$2,141 $2,141

-16.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$23.6K $23.6K

35.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$52.7 $52.7

27.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$99.5 $99.5

-47.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$151 $151

-32.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$149 $149

-3.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$3,529 $3,529

-28.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$3,039 $3,039

-48.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$4,702 $4,702

0.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$5,009 $5,009

-46.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$11.9K $11.9K

-64.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$10.1K $10.1K

-72.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$9,788 $9,788

-49.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.14

10.91%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mountain View, CA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Mountain View, CA

$3K 65.4% 92.6% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Mountain View, CA

$432 9.3% 3.5% $16

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Mountain View, CA

$339 7.3% 1.8% $6.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Mountain View, CA

$397 8.5% 22% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Mountain View, CA

$203 4.4% 24% $39

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Mountain View, CA

$127 2.7% 35.7% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Mountain View, CA

$113 2.4% 35.1% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $3,529 in Mountain View, 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 99% higher in Mountain View, CA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $101 in Mountain View, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $432 in Mountain View, CA – so Mountain View, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Mountain View, CA

🕒 Local time

18:55 6:55 PM

16:55 4:55 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

82,739

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Mountain View, CA 2,970 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $4,650 in Mountain View, CA – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 35% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $6,974 in Mountain View, 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 $2,526 there versus $3,529 in Mountain View, CA.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Mountain View, CA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $101 in Mountain View, 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 $4,650 in Mountain View, 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 $3,037 in Chicago, IL to $4,650 in Mountain View, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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