Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $4,603 in San Jose, CA, rent and utilities included – about $18,800 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
223

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

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

San Jose, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,603

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,603 in San Jose, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
San Jose, CA $4,603

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,374 in San Jose, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
San Jose, CA $6,374

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $8,145 in San Jose, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
San Jose, CA $8,145

Chicago, IL is about 34% cheaper than San Jose, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and San Jose, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, San Jose, CA by 238%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$21.70 $21.70

-4.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$102 $102

-12.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$12.21 $12.21

8.03%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.86 $5.86

-3.41%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.06 $3.06

-13.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.43 $2.43

-6.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$8.97 $8.97

-23.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$10.02 $10.02

-11.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.72 $1.72

-27.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.39 $4.39

-15.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.03 $4.03

33.75%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.72 $5.72

-17.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$19.85 $19.85

-30.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$14.10 $14.10

2.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$21.98 $21.98

-16.38%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.24 $5.24

-0.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.94 $1.94

2.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.41 $5.41

-24.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.54 $5.54

-10.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.51 $3.51

-23.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.92 $2.92

-8.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.47 $2.47

-9.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.54 $2.54

23.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.99 $11.99

15.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.34 $15.34

-3.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.47 $2.47

2.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.42 $3.42

2.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.57 $2.57

-5.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$89.8 $89.8

-18.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.54 $3.54

-10.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$3.06 $3.06

-54.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$30.32 $30.32

-17.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.53 $1.53

-21.57%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$37.4K $37.4K

-6.34%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.61%

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

$194 $194

$278 $278

-30.13%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$48.77 $48.77

42.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$82.4 $82.4

-25.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$87.8 $87.8

-45.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$24.18 $24.18

13.07%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$16.13 $16.13

10.42%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,902 $1,902

-5.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$39.0K $39.0K

-18.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$58.9 $58.9

13.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$51.5 $51.5

1.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$101 $101

0.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$121 $121

19.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,967 $2,967

-14.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$2,948 $2,948

-46.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$4,822 $4,822

-1.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$4,470 $4,470

-39.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$8,193 $8,193

-48.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$8,167 $8,167

-66.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$6,076 $6,076

-18.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.67

2.10%

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 Jose, CA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

San Jose, CA

$2.9K 64% 86.8% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

San Jose, CA

$490 10.6% 9.5% $42

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

San Jose, CA

$367 8% 6.5% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

San Jose, CA

$409 8.9% 25.8% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

San Jose, CA

$150 3.3% 8.8% $14

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

San Jose, CA

$119 2.6% 27.4% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

San Jose, CA

$120 2.6% 43.7% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $2,967 in San Jose, 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 23% higher in San Jose, 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 $101 in San Jose, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $490 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 San Jose, CA

🕒 Local time

18:44 6:44 PM

16:44 4:44 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

1,035,317

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL San Jose, CA 2,960 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $4,603 in San Jose, CA – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 34% 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 $6,904 in San Jose, 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 $2,967 in San Jose, CA.

Groceries cost about 9% more in San Jose, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $101 in San Jose, 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 $4,603 in San Jose, 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 $4,603 in San Jose, 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, San Jose, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.