Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Redwood City, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $4,232 in Redwood City, CA, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 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
201

Cost of Living Index in Redwood City, CA
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Redwood City, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Redwood City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,232 in Redwood City, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Redwood City, CA $4,232

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,270 in Redwood City, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Redwood City, CA $6,270

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $8,308 in Redwood City, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Redwood City, CA $8,308

Chicago, IL is about 28% cheaper than Redwood City, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Chicago, IL and Redwood City, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Redwood City, CA by 211%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$25.33 $25.33

-18.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$109 $109

-17.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$13.23 $13.23

-0.30%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.75 $5.75

-1.57%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.22 $3.22

-18.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.72 $2.72

-16.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.77 $7.77

-11.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.87 $8.87

-0.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.52 $1.52

-17.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$5.26 $5.26

-29.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.96 $4.96

8.67%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$7.75 $7.75

-38.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$15.29 $15.29

-9.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$10.87 $10.87

32.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$19.70 $19.70

-6.70%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$6.11 $6.11

-14.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.66 $2.66

-25.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.52 $4.52

-10.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$6.27 $6.27

-20.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.94 $2.94

-9.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.69 $3.69

-27.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.80 $2.80

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.71 $2.71

15.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.80 $11.80

17.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$19.74 $19.74

-24.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.70 $2.70

-5.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.52 $3.52

-0.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$4.82 $4.82

-49.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$4.04 $4.04

-21.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.25 $1.25

11.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$38.49 $38.49

-34.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.49 $1.49

-19.46%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.6K $27.6K

26.97%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.9K $26.9K

-0.84%

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

$194 $194

$245 $245

-20.51%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$53.5 $53.5

29.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$68.8 $68.8

-10.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$238 $238

-79.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$30.57 $30.57

-10.57%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$18.07 $18.07

-1.44%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$2,902 $2,902

-38.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$41.8K $41.8K

-23.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$45.60 $45.60

46.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$24.58 $24.58

112.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$98.5 $98.5

3.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$113 $113

27.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$4,166 $4,166

-39.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$2,549 $2,549

-38.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$5,663 $5,663

-16.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$4,488 $4,488

-39.99%

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

$7,721 $7,721

-36.14%

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 Redwood City, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Redwood City, CA

$2.5K 60.2% 61.5% $971

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Redwood City, CA

$494 11.7% 10.4% $46

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Redwood City, CA

$392 9.3% 13.6% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Redwood City, CA

$367 8.7% 12.7% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Redwood City, CA

$127 3% 22.7% $37

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Redwood City, CA

$30 * 0.7% 68.3% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Redwood City, CA

$274 6.5% 228% $191

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 $4,166 in Redwood City, 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 57% higher in Redwood City, CA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $109 in Redwood City, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $494 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Redwood City, CA

🕒 Local time

03:51 3:51 AM

01:51 1:51 AM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

88,314

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Redwood City, CA 2,980 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $4,232 in Redwood City, CA – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $6,348 in Redwood City, 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 $4,166 in Redwood City, CA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $109 in Redwood City, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Redwood City, 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 $4,232 in Redwood City, 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 $4,232 in Redwood City, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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