Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Paso Robles, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Paso Robles, CA: $2,747 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in Paso Robles, CA
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Paso Robles, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Paso Robles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,747

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,747 in Paso Robles, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Paso Robles, CA $2,747

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,325 in Paso Robles, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Paso Robles, CA $4,325

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,904 in Paso Robles, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Paso Robles, CA $5,904

Chicago, IL costs about 11% more than Paso Robles, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Paso Robles, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Paso Robles, CA by 102%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$24.77 $24.77

-16.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$99.5 $99.5

-10.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.36 $11.36

16.11%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.21 $5.21

8.64%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.50 $2.50

5.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.46 $1.46

56.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.80 $7.80

-11.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$5.95 $5.95

48.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.62 $1.62

-22.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.18 $2.18

70.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.44 $3.44

56.69%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.20 $3.20

48.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$15.28 $15.28

-9.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$5.53 $5.53

160.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$8.88 $8.88

106.98%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.37 $3.37

54.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.07 $1.07

85.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.24 $2.24

81.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.12 $3.12

59.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.45 $1.45

84.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.68 $1.68

58.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.38 $2.38

-5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.48 $1.48

111.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.88 $11.88

16.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.46 $14.46

2.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.18 $2.18

16.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.38 $3.38

3.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$5.44 $5.44

-55.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$68.8 $68.8

6.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$5.79 $5.79

-45.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.34 $2.34

-40.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$50.2 $50.2

-50.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.31 $1.31

-8.40%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$31.4K $31.4K

11.67%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

-0.15%

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

$194 $194

$360 $360

-46.02%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$58.0 $58.0

19.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$63.8 $63.8

-3.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$40.94 $40.94

17.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$10.18 $10.18

168.57%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$11.78 $11.78

51.19%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$2,496 $2,496

-28.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$30.0K $30.0K

6.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$49.88 $49.88

34.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$34.72 $34.72

50.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$81.9 $81.9

23.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$112 $112

28.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,148 $2,148

17.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,312 $1,312

20.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$3,468 $3,468

36.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,827 $2,827

-4.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$6,301 $6,301

-33.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$6,465 $6,465

-57.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,035 $3,035

62.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.47

5.26%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Paso Robles, CA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Paso Robles, CA

$1.3K 47.8% 16.9% $266

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Paso Robles, CA

$294 10.7% 34.3% $153

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Paso Robles, CA

$361 13.2% 4.8% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Paso Robles, CA

$482 17.5% 48.1% $156

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Paso Robles, CA

$125 4.6% 23.5% $39

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Paso Robles, CA

$108 3.9% 15.7% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Paso Robles, CA

$64 2.4% 22.8% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $2,148 in Paso Robles, 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 62% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $99 in Paso Robles, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $294 in Paso Robles, CA – so Paso Robles, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Paso Robles, CA

🕒 Local time

16:38 4:38 PM

14:38 2:38 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

29,793

💱 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 Paso Robles, CA 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,747 in Paso Robles, CA – Paso Robles, CA comes out roughly 10% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,121 in Paso Robles, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Paso Robles, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,148 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 52% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $99 in Paso Robles, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,747 in Paso Robles, CA to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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