Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Oroville, CA: $2,470 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 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
127

Cost of Living Index in Oroville, CA
Learn more

Oroville, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Oroville, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,470

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,470 in Oroville, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Oroville, CA $2,470

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,958 in Oroville, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Oroville, CA $3,958

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,446 in Oroville, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Oroville, CA $5,446

Chicago, IL costs about 23% more than Oroville, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chicago, IL and Oroville, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Oroville, CA by 82%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$20.14 $20.14

2.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$79.3 $79.3

12.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$13.25 $13.25

-0.45%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.62 $5.62

0.71%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.51 $2.51

5.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.05 $2.05

11.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.33 $7.33

-6.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.70 $7.70

14.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.12 $1.12

11.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.27 $3.27

13.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.08 $4.08

32.11%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.40 $5.40

-12.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$11.57 $11.57

19.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$16.29 $16.29

-11.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$23.43 $23.43

-21.55%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.23 $4.23

23.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.48 $1.48

33.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.00 $3.00

35.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$6.74 $6.74

-26.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.97 $2.97

-10.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.81 $3.81

-30.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.73 $2.73

-17.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.15 $2.15

45.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$10.25 $10.25

34.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$12.74 $12.74

16.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.01 $2.01

26.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.67 $3.67

-4.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.03 $2.03

19.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$57.2 $57.2

28.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.89 $3.89

-18.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.48 $2.48

-43.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$32.57 $32.57

-23.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.34 $1.34

-10.45%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.9K $27.9K

25.56%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$27.3K $27.3K

-2.32%

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

$194 $194

$179 $179

8.85%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$97.4 $97.4

-28.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$30.60 $30.60

101.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$40.05 $40.05

19.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$11.97 $11.97

48.79%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,313 $1,313

36.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$27.8K $27.8K

14.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$53.2 $53.2

25.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$33.40 $33.40

56.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$74.0 $74.0

37.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

-0.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,562 $1,562

61.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,102 $1,102

43.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,510 $2,510

88.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,340 $2,340

15.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,598 $2,598

61.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,264 $2,264

22.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.82

-0.15%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Oroville, CA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Oroville, CA

$1.1K 44.6% 30.1% $476

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Oroville, CA

$440 17.8% 1.6% $7.4

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Oroville, CA

$339 13.7% 1.8% $6.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Oroville, CA

$307 12.4% 5.8% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Oroville, CA

$137 5.6% 16.4% $27

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Oroville, CA

$82 3.3% 12.6% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Oroville, CA

$64 2.6% 23.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,562 in Oroville, 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 $79 in Oroville, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $440 – making Oroville, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Oroville, CA

🕒 Local time

15:36 3:36 PM

13:36 1:36 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

13,505

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Oroville, CA 2,850 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,470 in Oroville, CA – Oroville, CA comes out roughly 19% 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 $3,705 in Oroville, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oroville, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,562 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $79 in Oroville, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 22% less in Oroville, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

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