Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Rancho Cucamonga, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,343 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rancho Cucamonga, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
162

Cost of Living Index in Rancho Cucamonga, CA
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Rancho Cucamonga, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,343

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,343 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Rancho Cucamonga, CA $3,343

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,762 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Rancho Cucamonga, CA $4,762

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,182 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Rancho Cucamonga, CA $6,182

Chicago, IL is about 9% cheaper than Rancho Cucamonga, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Rancho Cucamonga, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Rancho Cucamonga, CA by 146%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$24.51 $24.51

-15.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$79.0 $79.0

13.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$16.21 $16.21

-18.63%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.68 $5.68

-0.35%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.15 $3.15

-16.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.45 $2.45

-6.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.72 $7.72

-11.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$9.27 $9.27

-4.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.27 $1.27

-1.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.04 $4.04

-7.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.87 $4.87

10.68%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.80 $4.80

-1.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$13.18 $13.18

5.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$10.99 $10.99

31.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$15.14 $15.14

21.40%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.84 $4.84

7.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.44 $2.44

-18.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.61 $5.61

-27.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.45 $5.45

-8.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.62 $3.62

-26.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.02 $3.02

-11.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.09 $2.09

7.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.56 $2.56

22.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.82 $11.82

16.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.77 $14.77

0.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.45 $2.45

3.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.10 $4.10

-14.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.02 $2.02

20.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$60.5 $60.5

21.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.53 $2.53

25.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.48 $1.48

-18.92%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$29.3K $29.3K

19.49%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.48%

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

$194 $194

$216 $216

-9.78%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$70.8 $70.8

-1.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$72.1 $72.1

-14.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$22.79 $22.79

110.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$9.91 $9.91

175.88%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$16.98 $16.98

4.89%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$993 $993

80.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$57.5 $57.5

16.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$39.54 $39.54

31.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$104 $104

-2.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$145 $145

-0.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,426 $2,426

4.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,883 $1,883

-16.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$3,833 $3,833

23.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,977 $2,977

-9.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,995 $4,995

-1.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.31

7.92%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Rancho Cucamonga, CA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$1.9K 56.3% 19.3% $304

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$426 12.8% 4.7% $21

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$392 11.7% 13.8% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$358 10.7% 10.1% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$156 4.7% 5% $8.3

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$71 * 2.1% 23.9% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$57 1.7% 32.1% $27

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $2,426 in Rancho Cucamonga, 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 Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $426 – making Rancho Cucamonga, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Rancho Cucamonga, CA

🕒 Local time

18:55 6:55 PM

16:55 4:55 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

170,714

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Rancho Cucamonga, CA 2,750 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $3,343 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 9% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $5,015 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $2,426 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Rancho Cucamonga, CA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $79 in Rancho Cucamonga, 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 $3,343 in Rancho Cucamonga, 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 $3,343 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.