Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,536 in Roseville, CA, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 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
169

Cost of Living Index in Roseville, CA
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Roseville, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Roseville, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,536

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,536 in Roseville, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Roseville, CA $3,536

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,057 in Roseville, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Roseville, CA $5,057

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,579 in Roseville, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Roseville, CA $6,579

Chicago, IL is about 14% cheaper than Roseville, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Roseville, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Roseville, CA by 160%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$16.68 $16.68

24.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$86.3 $86.3

3.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$12.15 $12.15

8.56%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.85 $5.85

-3.25%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.01 $3.01

-12.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.29 $2.29

-0.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.86 $6.86

0.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$9.51 $9.51

-7.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.33 $1.33

-6.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$5.50 $5.50

-32.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$10.91 $10.91

-50.60%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$6.38 $6.38

-25.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$14.11 $14.11

-1.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$17.41 $17.41

-17.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$17.53 $17.53

4.85%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$6.19 $6.19

-15.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.94 $1.94

2.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.97 $4.97

-18.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$6.27 $6.27

-20.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.21 $4.21

-36.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.77 $3.77

-29.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.52 $2.52

-11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.81 $2.81

11.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.69 $11.69

18.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.24 $15.24

-2.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.75 $1.75

45.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$6.01 $6.01

-41.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.83 $3.83

-36.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$37.65 $37.65

95.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$5.14 $5.14

-38.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$30.38 $30.38

-17.61%

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

$23.7K $23.7K

47.87%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$21.1K $21.1K

26.22%

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

$194 $194

$273 $273

-28.83%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$62.0 $62.0

12.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$65.9 $65.9

-6.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$97.5 $97.5

-50.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$38.29 $38.29

-28.60%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$15.83 $15.83

12.51%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,047 $1,047

71.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$24.8K $24.8K

28.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$59.0 $59.0

13.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$41.74 $41.74

24.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$120 $120

-15.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$163 $163

-12.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,973 $1,973

28.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,931 $1,931

-18.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$3,246 $3,246

45.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$3,046 $3,046

-11.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,723 $3,723

12.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$3,610 $3,610

-23.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$5,445 $5,445

-9.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.62

2.87%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Roseville, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Roseville, CA

$1.9K 54.6% 22.4% $353

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Roseville, CA

$529 15% 18.1% $81

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Roseville, CA

$315 8.9% 8.8% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Roseville, CA

$401 11.3% 23.2% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Roseville, CA

$173 4.9% 5.5% $8.9

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Roseville, CA

$58 * 1.6% 37.8% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Roseville, CA

$129 3.7% 54.6% $46

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 $1,973 in Roseville, 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 10% higher in Roseville, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $86 in Roseville, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $529 in Roseville, CA – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Roseville, CA

🕒 Local time

09:59 9:59 AM

07:59 7:59 AM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

107,158

💱 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 Roseville, CA 2,860 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $3,536 in Roseville, CA – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 14% 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 $5,303 in Roseville, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Roseville, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,973 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Roseville, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $86 in Roseville, 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 $3,536 in Roseville, 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 $3,536 in Roseville, 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, Roseville, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.