Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $4,607 in San Mateo, 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 Mateo, CA
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San Mateo, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

San Mateo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,607 in San Mateo, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
San Mateo, CA $4,607

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,460 in San Mateo, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
San Mateo, CA $6,460

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $8,313 in San Mateo, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
San Mateo, CA $8,313

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$20.32 $20.32

1.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$101 $101

-11.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$12.89 $12.89

2.33%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.80 $5.80

-2.41%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.04 $3.04

-13.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.81 $2.81

-18.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$8.35 $8.35

-17.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$10.14 $10.14

-12.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.64 $1.64

-23.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$5.95 $5.95

-37.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$6.23 $6.23

-13.48%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$7.45 $7.45

-36.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$13.58 $13.58

1.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$18.53 $18.53

-22.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$19.67 $19.67

-6.56%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.92 $5.92

-11.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.25 $2.25

-12.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$8.56 $8.56

-41.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.38 $4.38

-39.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.19 $3.19

-16.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$3.02 $3.02

-25.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.94 $1.94

61.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.76 $11.76

17.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.52 $14.52

2.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.70 $1.70

49.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.99 $1.99

76.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.20 $2.20

10.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$64.8 $64.8

13.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$4.24 $4.24

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.05 $2.05

-32.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.55 $1.55

-22.58%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.4K $27.4K

27.65%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.2K $26.2K

1.82%

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

$194 $194

$268 $268

-27.36%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$41.40 $41.40

67.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$60.9 $60.9

1.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$81.3 $81.3

-41.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$9.60 $9.60

184.79%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$17.80 $17.80

0.06%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$3,045 $3,045

-41.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$28.6K $28.6K

11.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$62.0 $62.0

8.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$45.94 $45.94

13.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$118 $118

-14.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$137 $137

5.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$3,414 $3,414

-26.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$2,991 $2,991

-47.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$5,766 $5,766

-17.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$4,683 $4,683

-42.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$9,613 $9,613

-56.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$8,493 $8,493

-67.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$7,661 $7,661

-35.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.53

4.29%

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 Mateo, 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 Mateo, CA

$3K 64.9% 89.5% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

San Mateo, CA

$522 11.3% 16.6% $74

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

San Mateo, CA

$356 7.7% 3.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

San Mateo, CA

$370 8% 13.6% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

San Mateo, CA

$163 3.6% 0.4% $0.7

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

San Mateo, CA

$88 1.9% 5.7% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

San Mateo, CA

$117 2.5% 39.9% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $3,414 in San Mateo, 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 55% higher in San Mateo, CA. 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 Mateo, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $522 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 San Mateo, CA

🕒 Local time

08:30 8:30 AM

06:30 6:30 AM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

103,536

💱 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 San Mateo, CA 2,990 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $4,607 in San Mateo, 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 $6,910 in San Mateo, 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 $3,414 in San Mateo, CA.

Groceries cost about 17% more in San Mateo, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $101 in San Mateo, 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 $4,607 in San Mateo, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chicago, IL costs $3,037 versus $4,607 in San Mateo, CA. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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