Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,072 a month against $3,654 in Redlands, CA, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
173

Cost of Living Index in Redlands, CA
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Redlands, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Redlands, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,654

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,654 in Redlands, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Redlands, CA $3,654

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,041 in Redlands, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Redlands, CA $5,041

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,428 in Redlands, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Redlands, CA $6,428

Chicago, IL is about 16% cheaper than Redlands, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Redlands, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Redlands, CA by 170%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$24.54 $24.54

-16.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$77.3 $77.3

14.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$15.90 $15.90

-19.18%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$6.09 $6.09

-5.09%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$3.14 $3.14

-12.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.35 $2.35

-3.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$7.84 $7.84

-12.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$9.82 $9.82

-5.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.34 $1.34

-5.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$4.78 $4.78

-25.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$4.69 $4.69

14.71%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$5.47 $5.47

-16.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$13.18 $13.18

3.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$10.73 $10.73

31.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$19.88 $19.88

-9.15%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$5.39 $5.39

-4.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.46 $2.46

-19.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.98 $4.98

-22.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$5.51 $5.51

-12.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.40 $3.40

-17.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.94 $2.94

-9.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.06 $2.06

0.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.81 $2.81

7.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$11.77 $11.77

18.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.94 $14.94

0.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.49 $2.49

5.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$4.82 $4.82

-28.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.96 $1.96

23.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$34.40 $34.40

118.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.73 $3.73

-15.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.20 $2.20

-22.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$38.39 $38.39

-35.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.57 $1.57

-18.47%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$28.8K $28.8K

24.12%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

0.10%

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

$192 $192

$296 $296

-35.19%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$80.2 $80.2

-13.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$79.8 $79.8

-22.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$24.61 $24.61

94.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$18.20 $18.20

-2.03%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,183 $1,183

53.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$12.7K $12.7K

220.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$61.6 $61.6

7.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$49.15 $49.15

4.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$107 $107

-3.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$105 $105

36.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,875 $1,875

35.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$2,083 $2,083

-22.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$3,536 $3,536

36.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$3,099 $3,099

-11.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$4,059 $4,059

2.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$4,236 $4,236

-35.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$4,855 $4,855

1.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.91

-1.88%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Redlands, CA: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Redlands, CA

$2.1K 57% 28.5% $462

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Redlands, CA

$454 12.4% 3.3% $15

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Redlands, CA

$398 10.9% 15.7% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Redlands, CA

$456 12.5% 40.9% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Redlands, CA

$145 4% 11.4% $19

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Redlands, CA

$57 1.6% 41% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Redlands, CA

$61 1.7% 26.9% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,875 in Redlands, 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 $77 in Redlands, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $439 in Chicago, IL vs $454 in Redlands, CA – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Redlands, CA

🕒 Local time

05:49 5:49 AM

03:49 3:49 AM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

68,747

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Redlands, CA 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $3,654 in Redlands, CA – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 16% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $5,481 in Redlands, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Redlands, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,875 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Redlands, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $77 in Redlands, 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 $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $3,654 in Redlands, 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 $3,072 in Chicago, IL to $3,654 in Redlands, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.