Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Redondo Beach, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,923 in Redondo Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
190

Cost of Living Index in Redondo Beach, CA
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Redondo Beach, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Redondo Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,923

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,923 in Redondo Beach, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Redondo Beach, CA $3,923

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,674 in Redondo Beach, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Redondo Beach, CA $5,674

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $7,424 in Redondo Beach, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Redondo Beach, CA $7,424

Chicago, IL is about 23% cheaper than Redondo Beach, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Redondo Beach, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Redondo Beach, CA by 188%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$25.30 $25.30

-18.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$80.7 $80.7

10.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$14.72 $14.72

-10.39%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.61 $5.61

0.89%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.53 $3.53

-25.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.36 $2.36

-3.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.65 $7.65

-10.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$9.25 $9.25

-4.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.11 $1.11

12.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.44 $4.44

-16.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.76 $4.76

13.24%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.67 $5.67

-16.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$15.36 $15.36

-9.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$15.26 $15.26

-5.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$19.02 $19.02

-3.36%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.98 $4.98

4.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.77 $1.77

11.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.43 $5.43

-25.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.72 $5.72

-13.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.64 $3.64

-26.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.42 $2.42

9.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.06 $2.06

8.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.74 $2.74

14.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.80 $11.80

17.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.27 $15.27

-2.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.52 $2.52

0.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.21 $4.21

-16.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.99 $0.99

145.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$6.12 $6.12

-48.04%

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

$29.2K $29.2K

19.89%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.11%

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

$194 $194

$201 $201

-3.10%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$68.4 $68.4

1.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$58.7 $58.7

4.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$96.6 $96.6

-50.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.86 $14.86

19.85%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,161 $1,161

54.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$56.5 $56.5

18.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$39.37 $39.37

32.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$104 $104

-2.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$103 $103

39.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$3,095 $3,095

-18.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$2,457 $2,457

-35.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$4,964 $4,964

-4.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$4,169 $4,169

-35.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$7,453 $7,453

-43.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$6,504 $6,504

-57.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$7,606 $7,606

-35.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.39

6.57%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Redondo Beach, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Redondo Beach, CA

$2.5K 62.6% 55.7% $879

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Redondo Beach, CA

$471 12% 5.3% $24

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Redondo Beach, CA

$394 10.1% 14.3% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Redondo Beach, CA

$328 8.4% 0.7% $2.3

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Redondo Beach, CA

$136 3.5% 16.8% $28

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Redondo Beach, CA

$10 * 0.3% 89.2% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Redondo Beach, CA

$126 3.2% 51.3% $43

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 $3,095 in Redondo Beach, 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 54% higher in Redondo Beach, CA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $81 in Redondo Beach, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $471 in Redondo Beach, CA – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Redondo Beach, CA

🕒 Local time

04:40 4:40 AM

02:40 2:40 AM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

67,346

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Redondo Beach, CA 2,830 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $3,923 in Redondo Beach, CA – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 23% 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 $5,885 in Redondo Beach, 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 $3,095 in Redondo Beach, CA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $81 in Redondo Beach, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Redondo Beach, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $3,923 in Redondo Beach, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chicago, IL costs $3,037 versus $3,923 in Redondo Beach, CA. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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