Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,815 in Santa Monica, CA, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 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
183

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

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Santa Monica, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,815

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,815 in Santa Monica, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Santa Monica, CA $3,815

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,847 in Santa Monica, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Santa Monica, CA $5,847

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $7,879 in Santa Monica, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Santa Monica, CA $7,879

Chicago, IL is about 20% cheaper than Santa Monica, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Santa Monica, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Santa Monica, CA by 180%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$26.80 $26.80

-22.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$121 $121

-26.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$15.08 $15.08

-12.53%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.77 $5.77

-1.91%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.32 $3.32

-20.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.35 $2.35

-2.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.94 $7.94

-13.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$9.95 $9.95

-11.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.35 $1.35

-7.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.63 $4.63

-19.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.52 $4.52

19.25%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.46 $5.46

-13.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$15.99 $15.99

-13.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$14.11 $14.11

2.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$19.54 $19.54

-5.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.86 $4.86

7.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.24 $2.24

-11.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.14 $4.14

-1.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.76 $5.76

-13.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.38 $3.38

-21.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.91 $2.91

-8.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.16 $2.16

3.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.57 $2.57

21.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.59 $11.59

19.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.87 $14.87

0.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.53 $2.53

0.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.02 $3.02

16.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.70 $1.70

42.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$54.8 $54.8

34.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.03 $3.03

4.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.83 $1.83

-24.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$32.50 $32.50

-22.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.48 $1.48

-18.92%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$32.6K $32.6K

7.49%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.47%

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

$194 $194

$216 $216

-10.12%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$46.35 $46.35

49.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$64.5 $64.5

-4.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$67.3 $67.3

-28.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$44.25 $44.25

-38.21%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$18.86 $18.86

-5.57%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,741 $1,741

3.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$32.4K $32.4K

-1.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$87.7 $87.7

-23.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$54.1 $54.1

-3.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$106 $106

-4.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$118 $118

21.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$3,795 $3,795

-33.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$2,269 $2,269

-30.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$8,658 $8,658

-45.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$4,229 $4,229

-36.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$13.1K $13.1K

-68.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$9,732 $9,732

-71.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$7,010 $7,010

-29.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.62

2.87%

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 Monica, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Santa Monica, CA

$2.3K 59.5% 43.8% $691

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Santa Monica, CA

$464 12.2% 3.7% $17

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Santa Monica, CA

$411 10.8% 19.2% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Santa Monica, CA

$327 8.6% 0.5% $1.7

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Santa Monica, CA

$165 4.3% 0.4% $0.6

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Santa Monica, CA

$74 1.9% 20.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Santa Monica, CA

$105 2.8% 25.8% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $3,795 in Santa Monica, 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 42% higher in Santa Monica, CA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $121 in Santa Monica, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $464 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Santa Monica, CA

🕒 Local time

15:17 3:17 PM

13:17 1:17 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

89,736

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Santa Monica, CA 2,830 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $3,815 in Santa Monica, CA – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 20% 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 $5,722 in Santa Monica, 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 $3,795 in Santa Monica, CA.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Santa Monica, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $121 in Santa Monica, 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 $3,815 in Santa Monica, 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 $3,815 in Santa Monica, 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, Santa Monica, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.