Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,483 in San Leandro, CA, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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
166

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

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

San Leandro, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,483

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,483 in San Leandro, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
San Leandro, CA $3,483

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,059 in San Leandro, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
San Leandro, CA $5,059

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,634 in San Leandro, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
San Leandro, CA $6,634

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

Both Chicago, IL and San Leandro, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, San Leandro, CA by 156%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$25.50 $25.50

-18.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$111 $111

-19.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$14.84 $14.84

-11.12%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$6.10 $6.10

-7.21%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.21 $3.21

-17.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.78 $2.78

-17.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.90 $7.90

-13.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.76 $1.76

-28.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$5.24 $5.24

-29.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.86 $4.86

10.91%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.84 $5.84

-18.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$15.22 $15.22

-9.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$13.05 $13.05

10.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$22.80 $22.80

-19.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$6.07 $6.07

-14.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.53 $1.53

29.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.42 $4.42

-8.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$6.46 $6.46

-23.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.00 $3.00

-11.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.72 $2.72

-2.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.03 $2.03

10.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.99 $1.99

57.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.95 $11.95

15.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.36 $14.36

3.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.74 $1.74

45.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.70 $3.70

-5.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$5.70 $5.70

-57.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$97.6 $97.6

-24.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$4.23 $4.23

-24.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.00 $2.00

-30.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$38.81 $38.81

-35.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.56 $1.56

-23.08%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.2K $27.2K

28.74%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.2K $26.2K

1.83%

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

$194 $194

$240 $240

-19.12%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$50.9 $50.9

36.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$77.0 $77.0

-19.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$49.58 $49.58

-3.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$16.03 $16.03

11.10%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$2,923 $2,923

-38.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$43.1K $43.1K

-25.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$66.4 $66.4

0.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$39.43 $39.43

32.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$88.3 $88.3

14.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$121 $121

19.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,357 $2,357

7.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,882 $1,882

-16.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$3,652 $3,652

29.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,985 $2,985

-9.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$5,091 $5,091

-17.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$4,028 $4,028

-31.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$5,390 $5,390

-8.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.76

0.74%

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 Leandro, CA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

San Leandro, CA

$1.9K 54% 19.2% $304

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

San Leandro, CA

$473 13.6% 5.7% $25

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

San Leandro, CA

$403 11.6% 16.8% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

San Leandro, CA

$368 10.6% 13.1% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

San Leandro, CA

$142 4.1% 13.6% $22

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

San Leandro, CA

$135 3.9% 44.2% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

San Leandro, CA

$82 2.3% 2.2% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $2,357 in San Leandro, 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 9% higher in San Leandro, 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 $111 in San Leandro, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $473 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 San Leandro, CA

🕒 Local time

17:57 5:57 PM

15:57 3:57 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

88,815

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL San Leandro, CA 2,970 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $3,483 in San Leandro, 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 $5,225 in San Leandro, 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 $2,357 in San Leandro, CA. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 6% more in San Leandro, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $111 in San Leandro, 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 $3,483 in San Leandro, 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 $3,483 in San Leandro, 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 Leandro, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.