Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and San Clemente, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,473 in San Clemente, CA, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 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
167

Cost of Living Index in San Clemente, CA
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San Clemente, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

San Clemente, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,473

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,473 in San Clemente, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
San Clemente, CA $3,473

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,398 in San Clemente, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
San Clemente, CA $5,398

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $7,322 in San Clemente, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
San Clemente, CA $7,322

Chicago, IL is about 13% cheaper than San Clemente, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and San Clemente, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, San Clemente, CA by 155%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$27.92 $27.92

-25.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$99.7 $99.7

-10.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$12.52 $12.52

5.35%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.77 $5.77

-1.91%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.11 $3.11

-15.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.64 $2.64

-13.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.87 $7.87

-12.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$9.58 $9.58

-7.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.12 $1.12

11.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.50 $4.50

-17.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.91 $4.91

9.78%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.95 $3.95

20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$16.52 $16.52

-16.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$14.13 $14.13

1.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$18.60 $18.60

-1.18%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.73 $4.73

10.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.82 $1.82

8.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.71 $4.71

-13.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.80 $4.80

3.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.51 $3.51

-23.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.74 $2.74

-2.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.10 $2.10

6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.11 $2.11

48.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$7.28 $7.28

89.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.81 $15.81

-5.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.31 $2.31

9.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.21 $3.21

9.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.69 $2.69

-9.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$47.43 $47.43

55.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.98 $2.98

6.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.09 $2.09

-33.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$27.90 $27.90

-10.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.24 $1.24

-3.23%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.2K $28.2K

24.44%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.28%

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

$194 $194

$249 $249

-21.83%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$71.4 $71.4

-2.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$83.6 $83.6

-26.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$44.63 $44.63

7.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$17.68 $17.68

54.64%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.99 $14.99

18.81%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$980 $980

82.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$37.0K $37.0K

-13.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$64.0 $64.0

4.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$29.64 $29.64

75.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$91.1 $91.1

11.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

-0.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,344 $2,344

7.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,919 $1,919

-17.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$4,063 $4,063

16.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$3,848 $3,848

-30.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$6,526 $6,526

-35.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$3,281 $3,281

-15.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,035 $4,035

22.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.19

10.02%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for San Clemente, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

San Clemente, CA

$1.9K 55.3% 21.6% $341

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

San Clemente, CA

$444 12.8% 0.7% $3

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

San Clemente, CA

$412 11.9% 19.3% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

San Clemente, CA

$404 11.6% 24% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

San Clemente, CA

$148 4.3% 9.7% $16

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

San Clemente, CA

$72 2.1% 23.3% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

San Clemente, CA

$75 2.2% 10.7% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $2,344 in San Clemente, 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 22% higher in Chicago, IL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $100 in San Clemente, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $444 in San Clemente, CA – so San Clemente, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 San Clemente, CA

🕒 Local time

18:07 6:07 PM

16:07 4:07 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

65,526

💱 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 San Clemente, CA 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $3,473 in San Clemente, CA – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 13% 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 $5,209 in San Clemente, 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 $2,344 in San Clemente, CA. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $100 in San Clemente, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 35% less in San Clemente, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $3,473 in San Clemente, 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 $3,473 in San Clemente, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.