Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Santa Maria, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Maria, CA: $2,935 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Chicago, IL despite lower rent and utilities.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Santa Maria, CA
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Santa Maria, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Santa Maria, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,935 in Santa Maria, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Santa Maria, CA $2,935

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,173 in Santa Maria, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Santa Maria, CA $4,173

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,411 in Santa Maria, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Santa Maria, CA $5,411

Chicago, IL costs about 3% more than Santa Maria, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Santa Maria, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Santa Maria, CA by 116%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$12.92 $12.92

60.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$61.1 $61.1

46.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$9.81 $9.81

34.45%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$6.13 $6.13

-7.67%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.56 $3.56

-25.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.06 $2.06

10.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.59 $7.59

-9.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$9.56 $9.56

-7.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.10 $1.10

13.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.07 $4.07

-8.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.65 $4.65

15.91%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.78 $4.78

-0.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$8.86 $8.86

56.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$7.52 $7.52

91.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$13.22 $13.22

39.03%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$1.31 $1.31

298.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.35 $1.35

46.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.53 $2.53

60.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.24 $3.24

53.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.89 $1.89

41.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.08 $1.08

146.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.98 $1.98

13.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.87 $1.87

67.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.61 $11.61

19.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.22 $15.22

-2.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.92 $1.92

32.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.05 $4.05

-13.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.03 $2.03

19.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$49.65 $49.65

48.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$6.21 $6.21

-48.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.34 $1.34

-10.45%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$29.0K $29.0K

20.82%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$27.1K $27.1K

-1.67%

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

$194 $194

$160 $160

21.46%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$68.3 $68.3

1.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$58.5 $58.5

5.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$29.28 $29.28

63.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$15.13 $15.13

17.71%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,875 $1,875

-4.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$46.97 $46.97

42.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$40.61 $40.61

28.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$92.1 $92.1

10.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$124 $124

15.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,227 $2,227

13.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,782 $1,782

-11.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$3,494 $3,494

35.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,917 $2,917

-7.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$9,593 $9,593

-56.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$9,427 $9,427

-70.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,224 $4,224

16.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.39

6.57%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Santa Maria, CA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Santa Maria, CA

$1.8K 60.7% 12.9% $204

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Santa Maria, CA

$320 10.9% 28.4% $127

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Santa Maria, CA

$286 9.7% 17.1% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Santa Maria, CA

$287 9.8% 11.9% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Santa Maria, CA

$137 4.7% 16.7% $27

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Santa Maria, CA

$64 * 2.2% 31.5% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Santa Maria, CA

$60 2% 28.7% $24

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 $2,227 in Santa Maria, 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 17% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $61 in Santa Maria, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $320 – making Santa Maria, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Santa Maria, CA

🕒 Local time

04:48 4:48 AM

02:48 2:48 AM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

107,408

💱 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 Santa Maria, CA 2,940 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,935 in Santa Maria, CA – Santa Maria, CA comes out roughly 3% 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 $4,403 in Santa Maria, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Maria, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,227 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 40% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $61 in Santa Maria, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,935 in Santa Maria, 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 $2,935 in Santa Maria, CA to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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